Raise the Hammer

Totally, utterly, appallingly unacceptable.

( Permalink )

It would be easier to go there..but it is a PARK... i always thought you build parks for the purpose of not having things like that built there. Why not Gage Park its big enough!..oh well they dont care what the people think.

( Permalink )

More like Conflagration Park.

This one ring circus we call Council is making me nuts! Did anybody actually think MIP was going to be the sole focus of the next step in this bizarre process? By voting to open up all possible sites, with MIP as the bait, they started the whole process all over again only this time with a 2 week deadline. Chad Collins had better get busy trying to get his supporters in line.

Sadly, I confess to feeling some stadium/Pan Am fatigue. But I can't let that happen. Sometimes, if only for a moment, I find myself saying, "Who cares. Whatever. Just get on with it." Hardly the thoughts of which visions are made. Or on which cities are built.

On the other hand, as mystoneycreek posted today, is it really such a bad thing if we let the Pan Am parade pass up by? I think he makes a good point.

Compromise is OK, but only if it's truly a "mutual promise" that's based on both sides achieving a lot of what they both feel they need. As Ryan so rightly points out, this now seems to be about doing the least amount of harm versus the most amount of good.

( Permalink )

The worst part about Confederation Park is that it is the site that gives the least benefits for the city. Where is an opposing team going to stay? Probably in a Burlington hotel as it is easier to get there. Transit-wise, last I checked there's one bus to Confederation Park that runs Saturday and Sunday in the summer only. Fantastic. Just skip the games, and I say that as a Ticat season ticket holder.

( Permalink )

Besides the obvous problems with building at CP, there is the weather problem. Who in their right mind wants to sit at a stadium on the lake in the early Spring or Fall. The winds howling off the lake will be bone chilling.

Remember the mistake by the lake in Toronto. Opening day for the Blue Jays was always an adventure. It was more often than not parka time.

( Permalink )

I'm sorry but confederation park is a non starter for me and I hope others will join me in mustering up enough resolve to email council and let them know this is unacceptable. The cats are simply trying to wear us out. Don't let them. The point of a compromise is to meet in the middle. NOT to give one party their first choice location and gobs of public money. Compromise or go home Cats.

( Permalink )

ENOUGH ALREADY!!
Didn't we make a decision on this some time ago?

( Permalink )

It looks like Bratina is responsible for this rumour. They interviewed him on CHCH news and he is pushing for it to be reconsidered.

They also interviewed Whitehead and Powers who both wanted nothing to do with reopening the CP discussion.

( Permalink )

Jason, you tell em! Greenspace on the lake is made for a mini golf course, video games, batting cages, climbing wall, bumper cars and a half kilometre asphalt gokart course.

( Permalink )

Yes, Cityjoe. At a Committee of the Whole meeting on January 12, 2009, Hamilton city council unanimously voted in favour of a motion removing Confederation Park from the short list of Pan Am stadium locations. They will need a two-thirds majority to reconsider their motion.

( Permalink )

They will need a two-thirds majority to reconsider their motion. And we know they won't get that, eh RenaissanceWatcher?! ;)

( Permalink )

Confederation Park was voted down in January 2009... 11-5. Cl. Collins was the first to voice concerns over Confederation Park, however several councillors felt the same way. It "snowballed".

CATCH article... http://www.hamiltoncatch.org/view_articl...

The links are broken, due to thespec.com's new format, but here they are:

Dreschel's Article: http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/1...

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/articl...

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/articl...

And a great Op-Ed by Terry Cooke: http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/1...

( Permalink )

Greenspace on the lake is made for a mini golf course, video games, batting cages, climbing wall, bumper cars and a half kilometre asphalt gokart course.

You mean recreational facilities that can be enjoyed by people of all ages for most of the year, as opposed to a stadium for a corporate welfare bum tenant and a sea of asphalt that will sit empty 355 days of the year on some of our most valuable lakefront?

( Permalink )

Be T,

you conveniently forgot the huge waterpark, home to Canada's largest wave pool and the PARK. Yes, what a novel idea to allow east Hamilton residents access to parkspace. It's not like they live in an over polluted region with lots of truck traffic or anything.

I like the new master plan for Confederation Park with it's shops, cafes, urban village concept and waterfront walkways. That makes much more sense than plopping a huge stadium down there.

I just emailed council. I urge others to do the same. There's only 2 weeks left of this nonsense.

( Permalink )

Confed should be taken right off the table. The more I've researched and informed myself of the different locations the more I realise the Harbour location is the best location. Maybe what they should do is guarantee the LRT to be built in conjunction with the stadium, maybe that would give the Tiger Cats enough push to accept the location.

( Permalink )

As a taxpayer I hereby throw down the gauntlet: West Harbour or nowhere!

( Permalink )

Comments with a score below -5 are hidden by default.

You can change or disable this comment score threshold by registering an RTH user account.

Comment edited by HamiltonFan on 2010-09-02 17:54:53

( Permalink )

What's good for Hamilton is good for the Tiger Cats!

Fixed it for you.

( Permalink )

O HAI! CAN HAZ STAY-DIUM?

( Permalink )

IM IN UR BACK ROOM
BAITING AND SWITCHING.

( Permalink )

Hold on one second here! I get marked down for "not adding to the conversation here" and you guys upvote LOLBOB for O HAI! CAN HAZ STAY-DIUM? ??? Kiddies, get serious here.

( Permalink )

To be fair, based on the view from Google Earth, the existing Confederation Park parking lot looks to be large enough to hold 2 Ivor Wynne Stadia. There also seems to be an open space in between the lots which could hold a third.

There are also advantages in being close to the GO line (which will be about 10 minutes train ride from Downtown, and connected to the rest of the Golden Horseshoe via transit.

The big disadvantage I can see is a lack of options for connected development. But apart from pubs, restaurants and the like, the potential for massive spinoff development isn't that realistic anyhow.

One thing this would do is make it necessary to terminate LRT at Confederation Park instead of Eastgate, and likely spur bigger scale development of the hideous Centennial/Barton area. I think from a business standpoint it's far better than MIP (although inferior to West Harbour). As I outlined this weekend, with the Cats entrenched position and time running out it looks increasingly more likely that Confederation Park is the only suitable option that both keeps the Cats in Hamilton and passes Hostco's need for the facility to be connected to the Pan Am Games athletes via transit.

MIP will move forward with or without the stadium, and frankly, I think that site would be the worst for the city, for the Cats as a business, and for the Pan Am games.

( Permalink )

Here's yet another twist!

Frank Gehry (yes that Frank Gehry) is interested in designing a large west harbour development that will "put Hamilton on the map". According to the article it will be a large building designed for a single use. (Given the timing and location, it sounds like a stadium to me.) If the Cats want visibility what would be better than having one of the world's best architects design your stadium precinct?

Comment edited by UrbanRenaissance on 2010-09-02 18:52:08

( Permalink )

"MIP will move forward with or without the stadium, and frankly, I think that site would be worst for the city, for the Cats as a business, and for the Pan Am games" - arienC

I agree with this statement. I am feeling the stadium fatigue that Graham mentioned as well.

Didn't we vote for West Harbour 7 times? or is it a best 8 out of 15 to actually stick with our vision?

( Permalink )

Maybe Emma Reilly is just trying to sell papers.

Maybe this outrage will just make MIP look even better. Could be a simple ploy.

Do not put it past Council to put it back on the table. Anything could happen.

HamiltonFan or any other supporter of CP. I ask you a question. What is so great about CP?

Great visibility I guess, great lake views, but I really do not get it. If one had concerns about WH becoming a white elephant, what about CP?

( Permalink )

I get marked down for "not adding to the conversation here" and you guys upvote LOLBOB

LOLBOB is humorously expressing the deep frustration we all feel with what an asshole Bob Young is and how pathetic our councillors are. You are just being a douchebag.

( Permalink )

Really how many stupid ideas have we seen in the last few months that get exposed as such after the initial e-mail, tweet or councillor talking out their ass to the media fails to produce anything worth reporting? We're talking about the very first site to be outright rejected. It's not on the table, hasn't been for a year, wasn't on there for long in the first place, and can't be put back without 2/3 of council.

( Permalink )

Im certain on CH they said Chad Collins would have to raise the issue again for Confederation since he put forth the motion to take it off potential sites. I dont think he will change his mind on that and it needs 2/3 majority to add it back on anyway. It is kinda too late in the game also and they have to focus on one site (even if that site is longwood/aberdeen). We all know how slow this has been and i bet they push forward longwood/aberdeen without knowing all the facts and problems. Wouldnt suprise me the dreaded East Mountain comes back in the picture in the next few days (nothing would be a surprise at this point). This has been such a total joke no matter where anyone wanted the stadium.

( Permalink )

z jones, Ouch you really zinged me!

( Permalink )

LOLBOB sorry me not understand.... you so FUNNY!

( Permalink )

brian " i bet they push forward longwood/aberdeen without knowing all the facts and problems"

They should be asking you for sure, b, so they know how to make their decision. E-mail em or write a blog here so they know!

( Permalink )

"It's not on the table, hasn't been for a year, wasn't on there for long in the first place, and can't be put back without 2/3 of council."

jonathan dalton you are right, thats why they stuck with WH!

( Permalink )

i bet they push forward longwood/aberdeen without knowing all the facts and problems

If they push forward with anything, they will be pushing forward without knowing all the facts and problems. They have 2 weeks.

( Permalink )

This is great news. CF is were the stadium belongs! We put the stadium at CF park, revitalize WH with an incredible new world class iconic building along with other attractions (i.e. pool, waterslide, museum etc). We should have started detailed designs already. At least they finally got it right.

( Permalink )

No chance they build at CP. It's horrible in every way.

( Permalink )

Here's a good question: Why is Bob Young going to get any money for naming rights of the stadium?

( Permalink )

You mean OUR stadium?

( Permalink )