Comment 76326

By DowntownInHamilton (registered) | Posted April 30, 2012 at 08:47:43 in reply to Comment 76282

"Face it, a stadium/commercial complex in that location wasn't commercially viable" How so?

"The soil remediation alone likely made building a stadium there a non-starter" The fee for soil remediation there was grossly overstated (and I believe, still being overstated by the mayor). That's a non-issue.

"Anyway, homes and businesses generate property taxes, the lifeblood of cities,

whereas city-owned stadium don't bring in any property taxes at all for the city." But, they make their cut from the team paying to use the facility, and licensing, etc.

"The writer says I will cost the Ticats $1.5 million for every cancelled home game

in 2014 and the city would also lose its cut, up to $200,000 a game.

and he makes it appear that the city is doing the Tiger Cats a big favour

by asking for an agreement to be in place to compensate the Tiger Cats,

AND the city, if the stadium is not ready for the start of the 2014 season." I don't recall the City saying they need to be reimbursed for any lost revenue. It was the team going to the City to request a guarantee the stadium would be done on time, and if not, they be reimbursed for lost revenue. The City said that it's not their domain as this is a provincial project, and have deferred this request to the province to comment on.

"The writer doesn't mention the Ticats let the city off the hook regarding

the added costs they'll have due to Ivor Wynne not being available in 2013.

Imagine the shortfall in gate receipts playing at Mac and other stadiums." ??? Why would a team that doesn't own the stadium they play in have any say whatsoever on that? It's not the City's responsibility to provide alternate accommodations for a team while building that team a brand-new, free (to them anyway) stadium.

"Perhaps it's because I vividly remember the sense of pride Hamiltonians felt in the Tiger Cats

during glory years of the 50's and 60's and the recognition they brought to this community

and due to the reinvigorated CFL, that recognition is rising again across the whole country." So holding on to memories from 50-60 years ago (much like the Leafs) is enough to give 'em a break? In any business, does that make sense?

Remember, the team (which is a for-profit business) wants to make money. They want guaranteed income and revenue streams. That's what they do. If they use the model of the Leafs (no championships in recent memory, so-so performance, and the like, while fleecing fans into paying ridiculous prices for merchandise and seating) they're free to try it, but I don't think it works in the much-smaller-scale CFL.

I'm a big fan of the Cats. Like I said elsewhere, I've been a season ticket holder and try to go to as many games as possible in a year. However, the stadium debacle, the tone of management and the owner, the city's bending over backwards to accommodate them has really upset me.

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