Quote:
Originally Posted by bigguy1231
I think he was responding to Bratina's statement that the stadium might have a negative impact on the present downtown economically.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelTown
Yes, I was talking about Bratina's insertion of the "Stadium Entertainment Precinct" would harm the downtown area.
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There is every likelihood that it will have no net positive impact on the downtown and in fact could act as a detriment to the core's revitalization. The core desperately needs an new anchor to draw people in. Locating a stadium in the downtown core may have been 'complex', but it would have had a significant impact on bringing people back into the core. The west harbourfront will drive new people past the core, maybe through the core, but not into it. New retail and service industries will locate in this new "Entertainment Precinct" rather than in the core, so the empty shops and restaurants downtown that could have been filled to complement a downtown stadium will instead remain empty.
Assuming of course that an 'entertainment precinct' would even be viable at the west harbourfront location. Barton Street never enjoyed any benefits from its proximity to Ivor Wynn, so why would this new location be any different? Rather than resolving the isolation problem of the Ivor Wynn site, it is being transplanted to a new isolated site, moving the stadium from one area surrounded by residential homes to another area surrounded by residential homes. This environment is hardly a catalyst for nurturing a vibrant new 'entertainment precinct'.
By the way, comparing downtown Toronto to downtown Hamilton is really comparing apples to oranges no matter what context you choose to use.