Raise the Hammer

@George wrote:

Bingo! Connection! That'll be me in 5 - 10 years, and nothing excites me more than retiring to a downtown Hamilton condo if we had an NHL team at Copps and the Tiger-Cats at WH.

I'd die for one of those Whitestar condos!

Living by the waterfront, walking to the Farmers' market, enjoying the countless restaurants and the ever increasingy vibrancy of our core.

Where is the 'Bingo' for folks who retire in the east end? Whether in a retirement home of sorts or just retired to their house? Wouldn't it (or isn't it now), be great to be able to walk over to IW and see a game or shopping along Ottawa St or see a show at the Pearl Company or sit on a bench at Gage Park. The folks on the Mount could agrue the say thing against my 75 Balsam plea too.

Folks who retire downtown can do all of what you stated, but where do we hang out? The little Food court they built at the Centre on Barton? Where is our sports entertainment? If IW is shot down I am not totally against @mrjanitors idea of a veledrome or some kind of sports legacy.

My inention is not to sound all 'what about me' and I know it sounds that way, but for those all excited about it all going west, how do those feel who really love where they are and are hopeful of some activities close by where they chose to retire?

There is no reason someone couldn't buy a building like the Pearl and turn it into lofts instead, close to IW?

I think Graham said it best. It is all about maximizing community benefit, but is there a real and true argument against either site? The harbor is beautiful ... it is, but so is the escarpment from Ivor Wynne or downtown at night or even the smoke stacks and the view of all the local old churches is something - and I am not even religious but those old buildings are beautiful!

The two sites provide two very different views of our city, so is the 'view' in itself really an argument that can be won, because we all have different 'views' of what makes our city beautiful. Those steel factories represent my families life line for 4 generations. To me they are not an eye sore, but a part of our history. Something to embrace. Something to work to clean up and change as the times and technology does, but those factories I am pretty sure are there for a long time so why not compliment them for what they respresent for our city.

There are a million and one arguments, that I am not sure can be won? There is extensive research about west harbor. It's hard to dispute that. The facts and reports and studies are there. They aren't for IW but stadium-wise, many don't need to be there because the fondation and the services and the history of football is all there. One could argue that the one report that does not exist, is how football would be recieved and survive and thrive in the the harbor? We don't really know do we? That is something we do know at Ivor Wynne, and Bob seems to have a plan in place to solve one of his major concerns (which I don't get but that's me), and that is parking. I just hope he leaves Scott Park field and our tailgating haven alone, altough I don't mind the plan to clean up some old abandon warehouses and turn them into parking lots. I will comment on that point shortly re: a GO station at Gage.