THIS IS THE PROPOSAL IN A NUTSHELL
IF ANYONE HAS ANY INTEREST IN E/MAILING COUNCIL REGARDING THIS PROPOSAL, THIS E/MAIL ADDRESS council@niagarafalls.ca WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE MAYOR AND ALL 8 COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK-YOU
Grapes' group unveils OHL plans
City needs to pitch in $3M to $5M more for arena project
Robert Lapensee
Sep 15, 2006
NIAGARA FALLS -- Major junior hockey could be resurrected in brand new, city-owned digs if city hall can scrape together $3-millionto $5-million more for its proposed arena complex.
For the first time, a group including former NHLer Steve Ludzik, CBC Hockey Night in Canada personality Don Cherry, Mississauga lawyer Ernie Coetzee and St. Catharines businessman Terry O'Malley publicly unveiled their proposal to bring the Niagara Falls Thunder Ontario Hockey League franchise back to the city.
"This here project, I can't see how it can miss," Cherry told a packed council chambers during a presentation at Monday's community services committee meeting.
Plans call for the city to partner with the group, known as JDS Delcor, on the development of a three-pad arena, with one main rink seating 5,700 people, which the Thunder will play out of.
It will be complete with 20 luxury suites, a club lounge and restaurant. The complex will also have two community rinks with 300 seats each, a team store and pro shop, large lobby areas with concessions and rest rooms and the promise of being accessible to everyone.
Developers will leave a footprint for two more ice pads for future development if five acres of Hydro One lands adjacent to the site can be acquired.
Coetzee said there are numerous benefits to building the major sports and entertainment complex, including bringing OHL hockey back to the city, attracting concerts, trade and consumer shows, family ice shows and other exciting entertainment events.
He said this facility could attract the Memorial Cup, the national championships for major junior hockey, and has the potential to lure other professional sports team, such as a National Lacrosse League team.
"I don't want you to think it's only an OHL proposal," said Coetzee. "It's at the heart of it but it's much more.
"This will be the premier complex in the Niagara Region. Our intention is to be the home of over 100 events each and every year."
The city will have to pay between $21- and $23-million for the development with Delcor being a 50/50 partner. Coetzee would not comment on what the full cost of the complex would be. City hall is in the process of designing an $18-million twin pad arena for the Cytec site, with one 3,000-seat arena and one 250-seat ice pad to replace the crumbling Niagara Falls Memorial Arena.
Alderman Selina Volpatti, chair of the community services committee, said the timing of the group's proposal couldn't have been any better.
"We need new ice pads. They are in the planning stages," said Volpatti. "Changes can be made."
City hall received Delcor's latest proposal last Friday (Sept. 8). Council sent it to staff, which will report back by Sept. 25. Mayor Ted Salci said the biggest concern is the cost factor.
"I think it is a very exciting proposal," said Salci. "My concern is this becomes an affordable situation."
The mayor was booed when he suggested staff report back to council at the next meeting, Sept. 25, but although proponents are anxious to get going on the project, Coetzee and Cherry agreed two weeks is reasonable.
"It's a big decision," said Cherry, although he cautioned council not to wait too long. "It's a lot of money. I don't think two weeks is too long."
"They need some time to digest the latest proposal," said Coetzee. "If something is not done in the next two weeks, we would have to reconsider what we are doing.
"I don't think we have much more to negotiate. We are where we want to be."
But still under negotiations are the term of the lease Delcor will hold and who will operate the city-owned arena. The city staffs its arenas with unionized workers and has promised no job cuts when it closes down Memorial Arena.
Coetzee said the group will honour the city's commitment to use unionized workers. It will also let the city keep control over its relationships with user groups, like the minor hockey association and figure skating groups. The city subsidizes ice time fees for a number of user groups throughout the city.
There are other concerns, said the mayor, adding he wants to keep the negotiations going. "I know there are many more things that we have to discuss," he said.
Council aired its concerns about what would happen to the city's junior B and C teams. Coetzee said there is opportunity for the junior Bs to partner with the OHL club, share players and maybe even have doubleheader games with both teams playing on the same day.
"I can understand about the junior Bs," said Cherry. "In Brampton and Mississauga, we worked with the junior Bs. They will be better off."
Alderman Jim Diodati said he likes what he sees in the proposal so far. He said council needs to ask itself four questions: do we want it?; do we need it?; is it a good deal?; and can we afford it?
"They are asking us to contribute $21-million," said Diodati. "It's a little bit more. We have the possibility to have twice the facility for half the amount of money."
More than 75 people crammed on the benches in the gallery with more people crowding council chambers and spilling into the outside lobby. Frank Massi gave out more than 150 T-shirts to supporter before the meeting with slogans urging council to vote for the proposal and needed at least another 50. He said Delcor has pitched a good deal and would like to see the proposal move forward.
"For $3-million, you are going to have an extra ice pad," said Massi. "It's a cheap price to pay for that. This is the type of thing Niagara Falls has been looking for. We have to take a good look at this. It will bring us up to the class where Niagara Falls should be.
"I would love this thing to happen and I'm doing the best I can to help it."
Unite Here Canada, a union which represents hotel workers, was also at the meeting to issue another statement outlining its concerns over what it says could be toxins buried at the old Cytec site.
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