Comment 39059

By sselway (registered) | Posted March 23, 2010 at 19:23:42

The comments mentioned by "Really?" are so off base, I had trouble deciding whether or not to dignify them with a reply! In fact, I wonder if the person was actually at the NEN (North End Neighbours) board meeting. Bob Bratina did attend the NEN board meeting, which is not unusual, as he is our councillor. For this particular meeting he was invited to speak about the stadium site decision.

He did NOT say his preferred stadium site was in Toronto. Bob is a big Ti-Cat fan! I doubt anyone who read that would actually believe Bob Bratina would want a stadium built in Toronto! He has suggested an alternate site at York and Bay and has said, publicly and repeatedly, that the West Harbour could be a good site location but he is concerned with the cost of trying to build on that piece of land. Please see his website for his complete rationale:

Bob is also concerned for his constituents near Barton/Tiffany who will be expropriated and respects the concerns expressed by North End Neighbours about traffic and parking. Brian McHattie also changed his vote at the last minute due to his concerns for Strathcona Neighbourhood when council decided to look at additional parking for the West Harbour site! The following motion was passed at that Feb. meeting:

"that approval of the site includes implementation of a program to ensure that the North End, Strathcona, Beasley, and Central Neighbourhoods are protected from adverse traffic and parking impacts related to the stadium/velodrome site uses, through comprehensive traffic and parking management strategies to be developed in consultation with residents of those neighbourhoods."

NEN is a strong supporter of Hamilton and of the downtown. We see ourselves as one of many neighbourhoods important to the downtown core. Our mission as a neigbourhood association is to protect and enhance our neighbourhood. We are working to make our streets "pedestrian-friendly" (we call it Child and Family-friendly) and to keep our neighbourhood a great place to live, not just a place to drive through and park. Hardly gentrification!

A strong, vibrant core needs people living there. All kinds of people, all incomes, all ages. Building healthy neighbourhoods that attract people to LIVE in the core neighbourhoods is important to the health of the Core.

Neighbourhoods want to be part of the City's vision to be the "best place to raise a child". So, what part of the Stadium plans include the neighbourhood improvement plans? I spent all day at the Feb. COW meeting. The site is referred to as an "entertainment precinct". I still can't figure out how shuttling people PAST the downtown to a "Stadium entertainment precinct" will help the downtown. Nor can I figure out how this entertainment precinct will help kids and their families or improve the neighbourhood.

So far, its a lot of hype and not many plans!

BTW - anyone is welcome to stroll the James N. cafe's / art galleries / small businesses and enjoy the sunset strolling by the West Harbour already! Not sure how a stadium will improve that!

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