Velodrome | ? | ? | Planning

[thistleclub]

Because we have until Sept 15...

General Issues Committee (Special)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
9:30 a.m. to ?????
PURPOSE: Continuation of discussions re: Pan Am Velodrome

[SteelTown]

This is a very preliminary design concept.

Velodrome footprint is approximately 140,000 sq ft. The concourse would go around with the flexibility to add temporary seating. The concourse could also provide a 300m, 4-lane surface for running. Basement level will include high grade fitness centre, change rooms (including doping control).

Ground level incorporates fitness space, café, security and control which will meet community needs.

Permanent seating for 750 will be accommodated on each side with opportunity for additional seating and also "standing room only" area. Top level will house a meeting lounge with view of track. This will provide an opportunity to generate revenue.

[realcity]

it's Mohawk or York... same as the stadium location.

[SteelTown]

Members did discuss a velodrome cost estimate of $50 million on May 27, according to meeting notes. But Whitehead, who missed that meeting, pointed to other meeting notes that show committee members wanted to bring an update to council in June. An update to council was scheduled for June 27, Whitehead said, but city staff pulled the velodrome off the agenda and replaced it with the McMaster health campus proposal.

“You have to wonder if that was a coincidence,” Whitehead said. “McMaster was asking for $20 million and we have a big shortfall for the velodrome … That’s the kind of additional financial pressure councillors would have preferred to know about.”

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...velodrome-loop

Bratina and Murray are in the hot seat

The sticker shock over the Pan Am velodrome has booted open the doors to troubling questions about goings on at City Hall.

Are Mayor Bob Bratina and city manager Chis Murray politically manipulating events behind the scenes?

Is a culture of secrecy and control becoming the new political norm?

Does Bratina have a responsibility to treat all media equally instead of using CHML as a personal podium for advancing his agenda?

The paper trail clearly shows city staff knew in May that the Pan Am velodrome was going to cost about $50 million and that the plan was to bring a report to council by mid-June.

So why did senior staff wait until the end of August to tell councillors they were facing a funding gap of almost $20 million and only had two weeks to decide what to do about it?

Don’t ask Bratina. As is his wont these days, he stomped away to his office without taking any questions from reporters after Monday’s meeting.

............

And what’s Bratina’s excuse? If, as Murray says, the mayor was kept in the loop about cost ranges why didn’t he tell his fellow councillors that things were going through the roof?

Did it have anything to do with the proposed McMaster health campus?

Is it possible the velodrome meeting was deliberately bumped from June so as not to muddy the waters or divert Future Fund and tax dollars from the Mac plan, which council was told about at a closed-door meeting that same month?

It’s well known the Mac campus is one of Bratina’s pet projects.

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...n-the-hot-seat

[markbarbera]

I was wondering how the Spec was going to spin their "Bratina Bad" mantra on this item. Interesting how damning they are to the mayor for the twists the veledrome committee have performed on the development of the veledrome plan, considering the mayor is not even on the committee. There are four council members who sat on this committee: McHattie, Whitehead, Pasuta and Powers. It is their responsibility to keep their colleagues in the loop, and the failure to do so lies with him.

What I find particularly irksome is Whitehead claiming he was in the dark. Really? Whitehead sits on the velodrome committee. If he is honestly unaware of what this committee is working on then it is a self-imposed ignorance. Did he not attend committee meetings, or was he too busy on his BlackBerry to pay attention to what was being said? That statement by him betrays either complete incompetence or utter dishonesty on his part (although I suspect Dreschel has taken the quote completely out of context to suit his article - journalistic ethics appear to be frequently set aside at 44 Frid these days).

The fact that The Spec has ignored the abandonment of responsibilities of councillors who sit on this committee to report back to council unmentioned in an attempt to stick it to Bratina one more time is quite telling.

Honestly, how can journalists like Emma Reilly mock indignant when Bratina declines to speak with Spec staff? With such an anti-mayor bias, who can blame him. Political Journalism 101 says avoid hostile media when you need to message. The Spec abandoned objectivity in reporting and now wonder why the mayor won't stop to speak to them? Gimme a break.

[SteelTown]

Would have liked to seen the Velodrome located at Olympic Park. Vast amount of green space, next to the Bruce trail and the area could use a recreational centre.

[padthai]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Would have liked to seen the Velodrome located at Olympic Park. Vast amount of green space, next to the Bruce trail and the area could use a recreational centre.

Has that site ever been considered for projects like this? I'd assume the giant hydro towers nearby would nix anything in Olympic Park.

[thistleclub]

No Wiggle Room On Velodrome Question, Troop Says [Matthew Van Dongen, Hamilton Spectator, Oct 6, 2011)

City council must decide Oct. 11 whether to help pay for an indoor cycling oval that Infrastructure Ontario (IO) has said could cost between $35 million and $45 million to build. Committing to the project could leave taxpayers on the hook for up to $22 million.

The city has already had decision day postponed once, from Sept. 12 — but it won’t happen again, TO2015 CEO Ian Troop told a Hamilton Spectator editorial board meeting Thursday.

“We have no chance to extend (the deadline) … Hamilton has to make a decision, up or down, yes or no,” Troop said. “We’re hopeful that Hamilton will vote yes, (but) if they don’t we move into contingency planning and we have gotten some significant interest from other municipalities.”

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Let's see if we can't completely f*ck this one up, too!

Now, I'm not one to play fast and loose with money but what's $22M to a city this size? I'm sure they could spread it out over many years and the change to your tax bill would likely be pretty miniscule. That said, here's hoping somebody steps up with some dough.

[SteelTown]

Any predictions? Will council approve or deny the Velodrome today?

[SteelTown]

Clara Hughes supports a Velodrome in Hamilton

http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/...dded_7_1_1.pdf

[SteelTown]

Motion to sell the West Harbour land for $5 million, money will go towards the Velodrome...

http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/...dded_N_of_.pdf

[SteelTown]

Mohawk College is prepared to support this fund raising cabinet, once established, by contributing expertise and a vehicle for collecting contributions. Mark Chamberlain of Trivaris, has agreed to be the “Campaign Cabinet” Chair.

They'll need to raise $10 million.

[padthai]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Any predictions? Will council approve or deny the Velodrome today?

I say no. Council should hopefully have learned its lesson from the stadium debacle. And I think it has a lot to do with the cycling's popularity relative to other sports. Although I'm sure it would get a lot of use, to the average joe competitive cycling isn't even on their radar.

[mattgrande]

Emma Reilly is live-reporting the meeting: http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...lodrome-debate

[SteelTown]

City caps velodrome spending at $5m

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...spending-at-5m

Hamilton’s Pan Am velodrome is still alive — for the time being.

Council voted Tuesday afternoon to cap its contribution for the cycling oval at $5 million. That’s only a fraction of the $22 million council was being asked to commit to by TO2015 organizers and city staff.

Several councillors say they don’t know whether TO2015 will accept the deal or pull the velodrome out of Hamilton in favour of another municipality that can offer more funding.

[SteelTown]

Ian Troop said the Velodrome is dead in Hamilton. They'll look elsewhere in the GTA

[SteelTown]

No go for Velo

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...no-go-for-velo

The Toronto 2015 committee has said it will look elsewhere for a city to build a Velodrome for the upcoming Pan Am games, saying the city’s offer of $5 million is not a sufficient contribution.

"This contribution, while generous, does not represent a sufficient financial commitment to go forward with plans to build a velodrome in Hamilton," committee CEO Ian Troop said in a statement.

"As a result of council's decision, TO2015 will pursue discussions with other municipalities who have expressed interest in this significant legacy facility."

The news came just hours after Council voted Tuesday afternoon to cap its contribution for the cycling oval at $5 million. That’s only a fraction of the $22 million council was being asked to commit to by TO2015 organizers and city staff.

[mattgrande]

So, do you think any cities are lining up for the velodrome?

[SteelTown]

I doubt it'll be a permanent velodrome.