Raise the Hammer

I don't understand naming rights from a business standpoint so is there a difference between paid $9m and naming rights being worth $9m and the Cats and City looking for a sponsor?

If Bob Young 'paid' $9m himself, does that mean he names it and can post his brand anywhere? Which it seems he has done in the conceptual videos/drawings. Ticats everywhere which is smart marketing I would assume and the fans will eat it up. I also noticed 'Ivor Wynne' is used as the name of the stadium in the video. Not sure what that means. Although I was starting to lean more towards a return to Civic Stadium in later months but keeping a name that has stood 42 years I would be fine with. The name itself is strong whether there are still many who might not know who Ivor Wynne was.

I will hold final judgement until we see the finished design but I like it. It's Ivor Wynne turned sideways and in many ways, is the simple Ivor Wynne we loved. It's features are the neighborhood, it's views, it's site lines, it's intimacy. and the history of it's location.

It's bright yet still seems to carry that old brown and it's really hard to see either end and if it's all beams or how the ends are covered. I hoped for a return of the old Beechwood facade from the Civic Stadium facade but modernized.

The architect seemed to understand the existing stadium and it's grounds importance and the early drawings seems to reflect this but it's still hard to really tell the video goes so fast at points.

It has less parking around the stadium which is a good thing for the neighborhood, with ample parking available within a 10 minute walk.

What this stadium will do for the neighborhood is the main value of that price tag. Perhaps as Twitter comments allude to, it won't get hookers off of Barton but will anything? Does any city think they will ever stop this from happening on their streets? I think if you take a closer look you'll see Barton is slowly transforming but it does have a long way to go. The new stadium will help directly around it on King and Barton and I already see so many houses in my neighborhood being bought and substantially fixed up.

Not too mention (even though I am not a fan of big box), how 'clean' the Centre on Barton looks, Ottawa Street is doing great, sewer, road, and sidewalk replacement from Gage to Ottawa St on Bernie Faloney way really brightened up that block and some of those houses are looking sharp!

I see those drawings above and prices and I wonder too. I know the process sucked right up to the end. I feel the Councillors frustration and that of the citizenry, but I can't help but to look at this as a bright light with some serious concerns being brought up to the powers that be about this process to possibly help other communities in their battles going forward.

Like my marriage separation, I truly feel all we can do is look for the lessons, and take them as us being chosen to lead in helping others through similar city building matters. One lesson might be to encourage cities to really survey their existing stadium or facility sites because even if you think there isn't a hope in hell you'll stay at the same place, you never know if you'll end up where you started and you should be well prepared for that option. We never had the time to survey the true costs of staying put from having to tear her down to nowhere to play in 2013 as of yet. If we had looked at Ivor Wynne seriously from day one we likely wouldn't be where we are but I am still glad we are and think that investment is worth the 'entire' package; what this is going to do to change the community the stadium will live on within.

I see the video and photos and I already miss old Ivy, but it's not just that the stadium needs a new lease on life, so does the community it has brightened spiritually over the past 80+ years.

Maybe the past hasn't been proof of the area's potential with a stadium, but the future will be.

I am not impressed by this entire process from many angles, but I continue to be excited about the outcome and the communities future. I won't and I know many others won't forget about the hard, eye-opening lesson's we've learned, but all I can do is learn from them instead of dwelling on them.

Comment edited by lawrence on 2012-10-14 23:26:30