Halifax Stadium Discussion

[teddifax]

Please just let it be built... I agree this may be our last hope for a stadium. We are lucky to get a second chance.

[elly63]

nm

[elly63]

Can't remember if I posted this, it was a long while back (March 30 2019) and some things have changed, but it may answer some questions. Jamie Ferguson touches on Sport Nova Scotia and other groups' involvement in the stadium (start at 38 min).

Randy's Road Trip LIVE from Dartmouth, NS
Posted by Atlantic Schooners

[elly63]

Halifax Residents Divided Over New Stadium in HRM
Over four in ten residents support the construction of a new stadium in Halifax to some extent, while a similar proportion of residents is opposed to it.

November 22, 2019: Halifax-area residents are divided over whether a new stadium should be built in Shannon Park, according to a new survey conducted by Narrative Research.

This survey reveals that over four in ten Halifax residents (44%) support the construction of a new stadium in Halifax to some extent, including 13 percent of residents who “completely support” the construction. Meanwhile, a similar proportion of Halifax residents (45%) oppose this construction, including a quarter (27%) who “completely oppose” it. One in ten residents did not express support or opposition.

Support varies by age with younger residents, 18 to 34 years of age being more likely than older ones to support the construction of a new stadium (56% of those aged 18-34 are in support, 48% of those 35-54, and 31% of those aged 55 or older).

“As part of the public discourse about the stadium proposition, we felt it was important to gauge what residents think. These results clearly show a lack of consensus, and it’s interesting to see that residents are twice as likely to completely oppose a stadium as they are to completely endorse it,” says Margaret Brigley, CEO & Partner.

The survey results are part of Narrative Research’s Urban Report, an independent quarterly telephone survey in the Maritimes’ major cities. The question on the construction of new stadium was asked of 400 adult Halifax-area residents from October 24 to November 10, 2019. Note that these collection dates were prior to a renewed proposal being sent to Council. Results are considered accurate to within +/- 4.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Narrative Research narrativeresearch.ca (formerly Corporate Research Associates) is one of Canada’s leading public opinion and market research companies. Follow us on Twitter @EveryNarrative.

View News Release Here

[elly63]

Originally Posted by elly63

Support varies by age with younger residents, 18 to 34 years of age being more likely than older ones to support the construction of a new stadium (56% of those aged 18-34 are in support, 48% of those 35-54, and 31% of those aged 55 or older).

[MolteN]

The propasal should be designed to build a roof at a later stage. CFL during the spring and summer, NHL team during fall and winter

I really want the city push this through, it they can approve 88 million in funding with 4 of 17 mla members absent and pass with a vote of 7-6 for the forum redevelopment, why are we sitting on this offer?!

[TheNovaScotian]

Originally Posted by MolteN

The propasal should be designed to build a roof at a later stage. CFL during the spring and summer, NHL team during fall and winter

I really want the city push this through, it they can approve 88 million in funding with 4 of 17 mla members absent and pass with a vote of 7-6 for the forum redevelopment, why are we sitting on this offer?!

1) Histrionics from a small vocal minority.
2) The public at large unaware of how government funding works.
3) A city council that has no idea of how inept it is.

[Colin May]

https://www.halifax.ca/sites/default...1210rc1514.pdf

" The option that has been recommended to Regional Council by staff is the option that provides the least amount of financial risk based on the following factors:
• No HRM ownership stake in the Stadium
• No HRM loan guarantee
• No HRM participation or cost sharing in ongoing capital or maintenance costs
• HRM’s investment would not be payable until confirmation of substantial completion and commissioning of the stadium.
• Council has been clear that we must leverage municipal funding with other levels of government or the private sector. This proposal has a private sector ownership group that will be contributing to the debt financing of the community stadium, and a CFL team as an anchor tenant. The province has indicated a willingness to pursue new sources of revenue associated with this proposal.
• This staff recommendation aligns with Council’s position in 2011 to provide $20M of funding toward a community stadium in the $60M range, which HRM would own and operate, and did not have a professional sports franchise as an anchor tenant. A current $20M investment on a $100M - $110M community stadium, with no ownership, no operating and capital costs, and a CFL team on its face is a much better deal for HRM than in 2011.
• Although the CAO is not recommending sharing in the ticket surcharge revenues, we are proposing full taxation on the stadium, which will provide a revenue source that can be considered as an ROI as noted in the financial section of this report. From a risk point of view, the amount of economic obsolescence placed on the community stadium by the assessment authority would be a factor in the amount of annual taxes levied and received on the stadium. "

[JHikka]

Of particular interest:

"The report says while such a stadium would add valuable infrastructure to the city, the financial options proposed by SSE would require a considerable amount of public funds that are dependent upon the success of an "untested Halifax CFL franchise and Halifax market."

SSE has asked for $41-million to $79-million, according to the report.

It says the business group's proposal assumes it will sell 21,600 tickets for each of 10 scheduled CFL games, or 96 per cent of stadium capacity.

"In comparison to attendance levels to other CFL teams in Canada, the CAO and his staff team believes that these attendance figures are aggressive," the report says.

In order to break even, Dube said, SSE would have to hit the 70 per cent mark in sales per game.

"The options proposed present considerable risk to the municipal taxpayer."

https://www.tsn.ca/proposed-site-for...ible-1.1409270

[elly63]

Major development in CFL stadium saga

New staff report from city supports $20m expenditure, but with conditions.
Air Date: December 6, 2019

[elly63]

[TheNovaScotian]

This must be a gamble that staff is playing in hopes the future developers of the area could be ponying up to offset the cost of connecting the area to the rest of the city.

So from what some councilors have released, I've gathered it's a bad thing to build a ferry terminal on a site with rail connections next to the largest industrial park east of Montreal.

[q12]

Vote for CFL stadium 10 - 7

[Colin May]

Council votes to allow staff to continue discussions for a stadium to be located...... somewhere.
Any thoughts on how SSE makes money from a team and a stadium ?

[q12]

Over 10 years ago fenwick16 started this thread hoping for a day like today where the city of Halifax would see the light of day on building a stadium in Halifax.

He may not be with us still but I'm pretty sure there would be a smile on his face if he was watching today.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by q12

Over 10 years ago fenwick16 started this thread hoping for a day like today where the city of Halifax would see the light of day on building a stadium in Halifax.

He may not be with us still but I'm pretty sure there would be a smile on his face if he was watching today

Amen!

[OldDartmouthMark]

Yes, I used to enjoy reading fenwick16's posts - I'm sure he would be happy to see that there's a good chance for this stadium to happen.

Coincidentally, just yesterday I had re-posted an image of a Forum proposal that he had posted back in 2014. RIP.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by q12

Vote for stadium 10-7

Originally Posted by dtown

Counselor Austin's motion to direct staff to stop looking at SSE's proposal has been defeated. 9 votes no, 8 votes yes. It needed 2/3rds to pass so wasn't really close. Mancini, Streatch, Nicoll, Hendsbee, Karsten, Walker, Adams, Blackburn and Savage all voting no.

Any surprises in the voting? Looks like one of the councillors has been swayed in the aftermath of the shutdown vote. Seems Paul Russell was the added Yes vote. Yea for him!

[q12]

Some TSN video analysis of today's vote:

https://www.tsn.ca/halifax-regional-...dium-1.1411128

[q12]

Anthony Leblanc just said on CTV he may be interested in a pop-up stadium in Halifax for the CFL until the stadium is built.