Comment 54335

By MattJelly (registered) - website | Posted January 03, 2011 at 16:02:15

Peter Montopoli's enthusiasm aside, it would still be good to have some sort of firm commitment from a soccer team before making a February 1st decision to build and own a Stadium. I just don't think the short timeline jives with making an informed decision on such a significant development. When we start talking about "community transformation", it needs to at least somewhat involve the input of the community that currently exists there- we've spent good money to be told that the residents are iffy on a Stadium, and that should factor in pretty heavily when it comes to the development that takes place there. Up 'til now, those residents feel they've been caught in the crossfire of a giant pissing match. I didn't completely believe that until I heard it directly from so many residents and not from the Ti-Cats- it was hard to separate reality from propaganda last summer.

I feel like we've been chasing a carrot on a stick here, and it would excite me just to see the contaminated properties cleaned up and simple infill housing developed at West Harbour, as un-sexy as that sounds in comparison to a Stadium. After everything they've been through, the residents of West Harbour deserve in the very least to help guide any development on those newly-acquired City-owned properties. Let's re-examine Setting Sail, do a few new rounds of community consultations with the neighbourhood, and finally develop a PLAN for West Harbour. And then a PLAN for Ivor Wynne- maybe that's where Peter Montopoli can come in.

Some open information about what we own, what contaminants exist and some sort of action on the expropriated properties would be a start, Stadium or not.

I could care less where the Ti-Cats play or don't play from here on out.

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