Raise the Hammer

Mr. Young, you say it is East Hamilton site or no stadium for Hamilton; I say to you it is the West Harbour site or no city funding for you and the Ti-cats.

The West Harbour site has many advantages to it when you look at it as a whole for the city. It will push the LTR development into Hamilton extending to Stoney Creek and Grimsby to the head of the line. The expansions and improvement in the HSR would be priority for the city as well to bring people to the stadium and the downtown core. A stadium in the West Harbour would be a reward to those business owners who have maintained their presences in the area and would attract more development into the downtown core with respect to both business and residential. The stadium would not affect the existing residence as it would be flanked by residential communities on only 2 sides and the new development of residence would be beyond those areas but still within walking distance of the stadium. The West Harbour will not have an over abundance of parking but currently neither does Ivor Wynne Stadium, the site will not offer as great naming rights and advertising because it is not on a major highway but again currently neither does Ivor Wynne. The West Harbour site does offer a much better user experience; visitors to the stadium can make a day of a trip spending time in the revitalized downtown core and at the harbour at pier 4. It offers to picturesque view one looking out across the harbour to the skyway and Burlington and the other up the escarpment, both of which can be used to boost tourism within the city.

If the Stadium is built in the East Mountain as you would have it there would be a much greater impact to the residence surrounding it and cost associated with developing this location, all the while not offering the city nearly as great a return as the West Harbour site. The East Mountain site would offer a much greater area for parking, revenue which you and the Ti-Cats would collect not the city. It would offer much better naming rights for advertisement, again revenue that you and the Ti-Cats would collect not the city. It would cause re-development of all the roads and infrastructure which finished not that long ago and took over 50 years to complete (I would not wish to see that can of worms re-opened) to support the stadium otherwise it is going to be a parking lot on the highways trying to get to the stadium and out afterwards; highways that were created to help keep the trucks out of the city. Where do you think these trucks are going to go when they can't get through on the highways? Instead of sharing the infrastructure development cost with partners like Bombardier who operates Go Transit, the provincial government, and CN Rail this would be a costs put onto the city as it would mainly be roadways that are impacted. The stadium would be nestled in and surrounded by a budding residential community and would stand out like an eyesore as nothing will be of the same size as the stadium as opposed to be built into the skyline of the downtown core not offering any type of view beyond looking at a sea of parking and a clogged highway, views that in no way could help the tourism industry. The residence would now have games, concerts, and whatever else the stadium would host in their backyards, not something I would like to have. It will not help the downtown core at all, all the city infrastructure funding would be spend developing and serving this area to ensure that roads and drainage would work, there will be nothing left for things like the LTR and HSR developments into the downtown. Businesses in the core would look to move out as there would be nothing to bring people in and no new bussines will be coming in to fill the void when they leave making the downtown area a ghost town that is only going to continue to degrade over time without development.

In summary the West Harbour site is the site that is best for all parties involved, The City as a whole, its residence, its merchants, its business owners, and yourself Mr. Young; you get a large portion of a new stadium constructed for you through other funding agencies. If you are unwilling to do what is best for all involved and not just yourself then I invite City council to start discussing with other parties a partnership to develop the Stadium such as Mr. Daryl Katz who has already expressed an interest in the downtown core and Copps Coliseum. Develop the stadium with these parties and when it comes time that you Mr. Young need assistance from the City to keep Ivor Wynne running or upgrade it I am sorry but the time and funding for this has come and gone. I am a Ti-Cat fan and would hate to see this opportunity disappear for the City and for the Ti-Cats because you are not looking at what is best for all as a whole but what is best for you.

I ask you Mr. Young what is better, a stadium in the West Harbour for all to share and profit from or no stadium for you and the Ti-Cats.