Little things may result in big loss for Hamilton, CFL

The stereotype of politicians is one of being crooks; doing anything to get a slice of the pie for themselves at the expense of the people they were supposed to represent. Today I’m wondering if many of the politicians in the city of Hamilton are making sure that reputation stays firmly lodged in the public psyche.

In a twist that has the TigerCats near extinction in Hamilton for the third time in twenty years, Hamilton TigerCats owner Bob Young has announced that he has pulled out of negotiations with the city to be part of a new stadium construction project, citing irreconcilable differences with the selection of where it will be built. Less then twenty-four hours later, the city council voted by a healthy margin to select the location that was the reason why TiCats owner Bob Young had pulled out of negotiations.

And so far they are the only ones that can explain why such a selection has been made.

The pebble that started an avalanche

The Pan Am games organizers, who are the reason why the building of this stadium is being considered in the first place, are looking at this snowballing situation and re-evaluating moving those events to another location. The CFL is weighing in saying the stadium would not meet league regulations (it’s short by ten thousand seats) and if the team did move it would not have an Ottawa situation (aka getting another team in the next expansion phase), the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is weighing in in support of getting back to the negotiating table, and followers of the CFL are wondering whether Hamilton’s City Council is too stubborn, too corrupt, or too incompetent to see that their selection is a poor one. In short, it’s Canada’s own version of the San Francisco 49′ers stadium issue, complete with the he said, she said drama that accompanies such things. Much like a stereotypical high school setting, and with much the same maturity level.

So for those of us that are on the outside looking in, what the heck is really going on?

The awarding of the 2015 Pan-Am games is the pebble that started this avalanche. When the games were awarded, Hamilton was tagged as one of the many places in the “Golden Horseshoe” to host events. With the funding available, both the Hamilton Council and the TigerCats franchise felt it would be a good time to replace the TiCats current home, Ivor Wynne stadium, which was getting a bit long in the tooth. However, both camps have different objectives that they wanted to meet. Hamilton wanted to place the stadium right downtown to help breathe some life into a decaying downtown core, while the TiCats wanted a facility that could help them finally achieve financial success, something that teams in Southern Ontario have had issue with over the last few years. To achieve these, both camps have preferred locations that met their needs, but conflicted with the others, and that’s when the fun began.

The Old Girl at the end of her rope

Some have argued that just refurbishing Ivor Wynne is good enough for the team for a variety of reasons to justify their positions (from “It’s already there”, “it just needs a bit of TLC”, “it’d work until the party that’s int eh wrong comes around”, “the CFL is bush league anyways, so it fits.”). Well let’s put to bed the option of refurbishing the “Old Girl by Scott Park” right from the get go. As much as this writer loves historical stadiums, Ivor Wynne has had it’s day. It’s location might have been on par with what East Mountain currently offers for space once upon a time, but time and the city’s population being five times higher then it was at its construction have negated it’s expansion opportunities. Todays facilities need both mass transit access and parking facilities to service fans that come from inside and outside the city, and being in an area surrounded by war time era houses, narrow streets, no nearby highway access, and only one bus line, the location is a poor spot for a stadium in today’s age. That it would take almost the same amount cost wise to refurbish the old stadium to top notch status as it would be to build a new one only helps to seal it’s fate. NO idea what would could do with the field (maybe the next door high school could pretend they’re in Texas and use it for their football program?), but for a major league such as the CFL (and outside of the “Everything that’s Canadian is inferior!” crowd, it’s acknowledged to be a major league.), it just doesn’t cut it anymore.

With that in mind, we’re down to the two locations that each camp has chosen as their cause that has caused this impasse; West Harbour, and East Mountain. Two very vague, non descriptive names that for anyone outside the city probably has them scratching their head as to where the heck the proposed sites are (this writer included), which is why links are included to the areas. So which one is the better choice? Let’s have a look at each choice.

Not nearly enough stands, but the general gist is there.

First there’s the site that the city seems to be in love with; West Harbour. And at first glance, it’s not surprising that they’re in love with it. On lands owned by the city, it not only meets their desire to start renovating the crumbling harbourfront that has been going downhill for decades, but it has the space to offer people that come to the game more then just a “game and get out” if they wish, even if currently it doesn’t look it. Also being right beside the rail lines doesn’t hurt to funnel potential fans coming from Burlington, Oakville, and if GO expands around the horseshoe, Stoney Creek and east as well….assuming GO operates on those lines (and if not, a change is sorely needed, because where the GO station is will not work for either location). The only drawback, location wise at least, is that it’ll have almost the same issue with streets as their current home. York boulevard, being dual laned will at least help keep things moving. However for fans coming from the other side of the escarpment, it only helps a little bit better then they were at Ivor Wynne, and those will be the ones that will be driving. In short, the location works if you either live in town (GO system), or re coming from the Burlington direction (403/York access, GO Train), but barely improves access to those coming from out of town, and those in Stoney Creek and East are in for a roundabout way to get to a game, barring no train service in their direction. If only they had built a Perimeter Road to help with such needs. There’s also the mis-design of selecting a stadium design to be the centerpiece of this complex that isn’t even CFL standard, but in this mess it’s not really too surprising that they’d miss that one feature, unimportant as it may be to things.

On the other side, we have what Mr. Young feels is the best choice, the location out in East Mountain. And it can be summed up in three words; middle of nowhere. As you can see from the photo, it is your typical rural area that is on the blunt fringe of the city (there’s a Home Depot just down the street, with the typical “mall” accompanying it.). From Mr. Youngs standpoint you can see why he’d like it. For starters, the taxes would, I assume, be lower due to location if he decided to tell Hamilton to take a leap and pay for it himself. Also the Lincoln Alexander Parkway has an exit a block down the road from the location, which makes road access almost ideal from any direction, as that highway ties into the 403 and QEW easily. You still have two lane roads to get the spot, but you’re going to get that in almost every location. However thats’ currently all you have for ways that people can get to games if the stadium existed there. it’s way off the beaten path from potential GO Train lines, and buses in the grand scheme of things dont’ help to move the asses quickly as say, train service. And there’s nothing to do in that area except get back in the highway, as the only place to hang out after the game is done looks to be the local Tim Hortons if you believe Google Street View. While I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a few thousand fans looking to grab a double- double before or after the game, it pales to the point of transparency when compared to the neighborhoods that surround the Skydome, McHamon Stadium, BC Place, the Commonwealth, and Percival Park to name just a few.

Another version of West Harbour Stadium. Here's hoping the name isn't that bland.

It’s probably not a surprise that of the two sites I’d be pulling for West Harbour if I lived in Wenworth County. Considering that the majority of stadiums in the CFL are downtown locations, with the multiple options to drive or commute, and stay or go before or after the game, it’s pretty obvious that it gives the most options to the fans, however they wish to experience their game day. With that being said, I hold my enthusiasm on the following conditions, which in my opinion must be met if all parties are going to be able to meet their desired outcomes.

1. The stadium MUST have a profitable amount of seats in which to fill. That means having more then what Ivor Wynne had; a lot more. Once the seats are added, running promotions and deals to get the fans to fill them is easy. it’s a lot harder to build a stadium and then try to expand it when you find you’re barely breaking even when selling out. And to the folks that are planning this that feel fifteen thousand is just fine, you need to find another profession. If fifteen thousand is just fine, Young can get that with very favourable conditions in at least four locations across the country right now, never mind that its’ not even CFL grade. Having a stadium on par with what the Skydome and Commonwealth can deliver for seating capacity would not only make the surrounding urban renewal projects more successful (after all, fans gotta eat and drink), but will be able to have the owner of the team actually be profitable, which when it boils right down to it, that is the bottom line for any business. If Young cannot get a healthy amount more in seating capacity then what Ivor Wynne could deliver, then there is no point to even looking at this project.
2. The traffic situation needs to be improved. I don’t know how that would be done exactly (if I was a civic engineer, I’d be doing these posts from the beach), but making it easier for traffic to come from the south and east will need to be addressed in order to fill that big, brand new stadium. Especially in the first few years when there’s no GO Train service to Niagara and Brantford. Traffic from Burlington and area wont’ have an issue due to the York Blvd interchange, and York being dual laned will help matter, at least more then at their current home. Anyway to make fans that live outside of town have an easier go of driving to the game is the way to go, because contrary to popular belief, folks do want to drive to the stadium, especially if there’s no commuting opportunities. And speaking of commuting…
3. Have the GO Train situation revised. From the maps that I’ve looked at, the GO Train currently does not go near the proposed stadium grounds, instead going to Hamilton Station about two and a half km’s down. Contrast that to other stadiums in the league, where their are stations either right by the facility, or half the distance to Hamilton station (Union Station comes to mind.). Having the land turn to the stadium instead would work out great to attract commuters from Burlington and area. It’d also be very attractive for folks on the east end of the city and the Niagara Peninsula, who due to geography would have the longest commute, which nothing outside of the Perimeter Road being built is going to help that out. Add a commuter line heading to the hill and Brantford area and you’d lower congestion on the 403 and possibly have a need for that 70,000 seat stadium. You just have to have he lines done right.
4. If you’re going to have Young drop some serious cash, give the man what he wants in return. With this the city is having an entire section of it’s downtown area turned from decaying light industrial and war time housing to high density commercial that has the potential to be Hamilton’s version of Camden Yards. Giving the guy that owns the team that will be your primary tenant a stadium that has the facilities to get people in and out of the area quickly and easily by multiple access routes, and a robust amount of seats to help keep the team from drowning in red ink yet again. The fact that he’s willing to drop fifty to seventy-five million to finance the thing? It’s a no brainer. At least to those that have a brain that is.
5. For the Hamilton council, let’s be realistic here. Without the TigerCats as your primary tenant, you will have your own Olympic stadium white elephant. The white noise of getting a NASL franchise does little to block the fact that without a CFL franchise, the entire plan for West Harbour falls apart like a house of cards, and well it should. Barring hell freezing over and the NHL getting a commissioner that doesn’t think pucks are those blue things you find in urinals, the CFL will be the closest Hamilton will ever get to having a professional sports franchise. And for the arguments that the city will save money by not having to subsidize the team, what do you think will cost more; a few million a year that once the new facility is up and running should be able to be turned off, or saving the subsidy and having an entire section of the city not worth the dirt it sits on, with the loss of commerce and tax revenue that would have accompanied it. Unless you’re extremely stupid at math (or life in general), it’s not a hard choice to see which one would be the better choice for the short and long term health of all parties concern.

Bob Young, the sports owner you'd expect to find at your neighborhood curling club.

Now for Mr. Young, if for some reason the Hamilton council is indeed dead from the neck up (which being politicians is entirely possible), your options are limited. We all know there’s no facilities in the country that will house a CFL team that the league will authorize, and the league isn’t going to turn down expansion dues from Ottawa’s latest entry so having the TigersCats at Frank Clair isn’t going to happen. And even if cities such as Milton will offer to pay for a stadium, any city less then a quarter of a million people is going to have a hard go filling the stands, especially if the majority of the fan base is almost an hour away on two lane roads.  If I were you Mr. Young, I’d consider just building the stadium myself, funding and all of it’s red tape and BS be damned. And while you’re set on East Mountain, might I suggest looking hard at Waterdown Road just south of the 403. There’s a nice large empty slice of land that would fit a stadium nicely, it already has the GO Train stadium right at the front door, which I’m sure a walkway across could be easily built. And the 403 is right there with some interchanges already there from the south, and with some light convincing ones from the north could be built. And as an added bonus it’s not in the Hamilton area, but Aldershot, which is a part of Burlington (how much they like that is up for debate), which denying Hamilton one cent of revenue for playing silly games would be a bit of delicious shameful joy. In short, a better selection then East Mountain on a few fronts.

For as long as I can remember, Hamilton has had very few positives ever associated with its name. It’s reputation of being Canada’s version of the rust belt continue to plague it even today, its downtown needs major revitalization work done to it, it’s luck with the NHL is on par with Charlie Brown’s football kicking success, and with Toronto relentless expansion to consume any piece of land open to it in SouthCentral Ontario, Hamilton’s unique identify is starting to merge with it’s behemoth neighbour down the road. In fact, the lone positive has always been the ability for the city to have a major league franchise, even though it has arguably the smallest population of all the current teams in the league(*). In fact, the TigerCats could arguably rival the steel mills as symbols of Hamilton, and would be on par as wheat fields to Saskatchewan, the Parliament buildings to Ottawa and the CN Tower to Toronto. To squander something like that defines a new level of failure.

Unfortunately for Hamilton, they seem to be stuck with the right people to meet and exceed that level. Let’s hope they either clue in and get back to work, or are removed quickly by those that can.

* – The Saskatchewan Roughriders play in a smaller city, but when you have an entire province behind you, it beats Hamilton by a decent margin.

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