Group makes ‘very credible’ pitch for Halifax CFL franchise

[1971GreyCup]

I happen to be in Halifax this weekend and I read in the Chronicle Herald that a couple of town counsellors are trying to shut the process done and not waste city dollars on the feasibility study. Too bad there’s a lot of local opposition.

For some reason I can’t find the electronic version.

[R.J]

I happen to be in Halifax this weekend and I read in the Chronicle Herald that a couple of town counsellors are trying to shut the process done and not waste city dollars on the feasibility study. Too bad there’s a lot of local opposition.

For some reason I can’t find the electronic version.

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/ne...l-plan-360504/

Good on some of the City Councillors for this IMO. LeBlanc & Co. clearly don't have the money to put in anything upfront, and overall this looks like a bad deal for the City. As much as I'd like to see a 10th CFL team; I'm completely against facilities being built with 100% of Taxpayers money.

[Mightygoose]

It will need a 2/3rds super majority to be scrapped since it's a rescindment of the council's OK for study staff to work on the report.

With allot of work still to be done including anything official from the province and public consultations that Canada Lands wants, I can't see this motion getting enough support, so the stadium plan should live on to early in the new year.

[ArgoRavi]

The $3-4 million a year in tax support mentioned in the article in the previous post is a way of once again trying to get the taxpayer fund the stadium in a relatively poor province. I am still highly skeptical of this going forward. Halifax is not Ottawa or Edmonton economically.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5954134/c...lifax-stadium/

I will believe that any of this will happen only when I see the team take to the field for the first time.

[R.J]

Until someone with actual money comes along, I think Halifax will continue to be a pipe dream for the CFL.

Different circumstances and Leagues I know, but LeBlanc & Co. also proved to be paupers in Arizona as well, hence why the NHL pushed 'em out. I hope common sense prevails in Halifax and this deal doesn't go through either, but admittedly I have pretty much zero faith that Ambrosie will figure out that they (LeBlanc & Co.) have no money. Heck, Ambrosie still hasn't figured out the the Lenkov's don't have the money to buy the Als lol.

[jerrym]

I will believe that any of this will happen only when I see the team take to the field for the first time.

Ditto.

[BigJim]

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/ne...l-plan-360504/

Good on some of the City Councillors for this IMO. LeBlanc & Co. clearly don't have the money to put in anything upfront, and overall this looks like a bad deal for the City. As much as I'd like to see a 10th CFL team; I'm completely against facilities being built with 100% of Taxpayers money.

I agree, if you look at the proposal LeBlanc is asking Halifax to raise the hotel tax and a tax on rental cars. He is also proposing a $10 per ticket sur-tax that would be paid to the city, I don't think any CFL team has a tax that high on tickets.
The tourism industry and the people that run the convention centre are not happy about it either. Besides, the city of Halifax doesn't have the power to raise taxes, it would be up to the Province.

[bannedforlife]

Heck, Ambrosie still hasn't figured out the the Lenkov's don't have the money to buy the Als lol.

Yeah, that Ambrosie, not real bright is he? Imagine persuading the Bronfmans to get involved, what a maroon!

[bannedforlife]

I happen to be in Halifax this weekend and I read in the Chronicle Herald that a couple of town counsellors are trying to shut the process done and not waste city dollars on the feasibility study. Too bad there’s a lot of local opposition.

That's not exactly true, one councillor in particular was leading that charge and frankly to my surprise and delight has seemed to galvanize support for the stadium. Polls have shown there is support for the stadium and not a "lot of local opposition" as you have stated. That particular councillor posted on another website and was given an earful. Good, bad or indifferent, people want to see this thing through. The deputy mayor came out in opposition to the councillor.

[jerrym]

The Halifax franchise is on life support.

The CFL’s dream of Halifax expansion is alive today, although it may only have six more weeks to live following its survival from a death-blow motion by City Councillor Sam Austin by a narrow 9-8 vote margin.

Halifax mayor Mike Savage was less than optimistic about the prospects of the proposed stadium. “There are a lot of councillors who’ve indicated they’re not supportive of a stadium,” Savage told Halifax Today in response to the vote. “Whether there is an opportunity for people to change their mind as we get more analysis from staff, I don’t know. I wouldn’t see it as a hopeful sign that the stadium would pass council when it comes back.”

Anthony LeBlanc, founding partner of Schooner Sports and Entertainment, was slightly more optimistic. Though surprised by the level of opposition, LeBlanc said he was “Not going to get too concerned about the results. The good news is we’re continuing the process and we’re working closely with senior staff.” ...

A motion to speed up the deliberation process did pass council, forcing SSE to bring its basic analysis before the councillors in early December. Both LeBlanc and Savage agreed the stadium proposal could not survive a “no” vote at that juncture.

“This is what they’ve come up with, so I don’t think it’s realistic to say to them give us something else,” Mayor Savage said. “I don’t think they’d be interested, and I don’t think there’s much appetite on the council. The decision that is made will be final,” LeBlanc confirmed. “If it is rejected, yes, we have made an agreement internally within our partnership that we will not be continuing any further.”

https://3downnation.com/2019/10/25/h...n-in-december/

[gilthethrill]

The Halifax franchise is on life support.

https://3downnation.com/2019/10/25/h...n-in-december/

I seriously doubt there will be a 10th Canadian CFL team in my lifetime. How frustrating not being able to grow the league in this country. Little wonder Ambrose is looking beyond our borders.

[Argo57]

I seriously doubt there will be a 10th Canadian CFL team in my lifetime. How frustrating not being able to grow the league in this country. Little wonder Ambrose is looking beyond our borders.

No shock with this, I never got the sense that the region (government) was behind this initiative.

[bannedforlife]

Group looking to build stadium says updated proposal is 'best deal for HRM'
Original proposal submitted by Schooner Sports and Entertainment was nearly turfed by Halifax council
CBC News Nov 14, 2019

The group that wants to build a CFL stadium in Halifax has updated its proposal, which it says reduces risk to the municipality and is the best deal for any stadium jurisdiction in North America.

Besides building a stadium in Shannon Park, Schooner Sports and Entertainment (SSE) is hoping to attract a CFL team that would serve as an anchor tenant.

The original proposal was submitted in August 2019 and details were made public at the end of September.

Last month, council held a vote based on a motion from Dartmouth Coun. Sam Austin to end talks regarding the stadium. Austin's motion was voted down 9-8. Council then voted in favour of having staff analyze the proposal and have them return with a report in December.

In a news release, one of SSE's founding partners said the company has been listening to public reaction of its original submission.

"Our revised proposal takes this feedback into consideration and provides HRM with a community stadium proposal that is the best deal for HRM and in fact better than any stadium jurisdiction in North America," said Anthony LeBlanc.

According to the news release, under the revised proposal SSE will now:

Contribute tens of millions of dollars for stadium construction.
Fund all ongoing capital expenses.
Be responsible for all operational expenses, regardless of ownership structure.
Repay HRM's full annual contribution.
Share the excess surcharge profit with the city.

The stadium would be a 24,000-seat facility with an inflatable winter sports dome that could be used for professional football and community sports. SSE said the stadium could host one to two major concerts a year and a minimum of one Grey Cup every 10 years.

SSE's original proposal contained various ways the municipality could fund the stadium and community sports complex.

That included an upfront cash payment of 15-20 per cent of the cost and annual payments of $2 million with the expectation of getting money back through ticket sales.

"I just looked at what they're asking of us in terms of the municipal financial contribution and where I feel the stadium ranks in terms of municipal priorities and I just can't square the two," Austin said in October.

[bannedforlife]

No shock with this, I never got the sense that the region (government) was behind this initiative.

The Rick Howe Show - 9 a.m.
The Rick Howe Show - Monday, November 18, 2019 Joining us this morning in studio is Deputy Mayor Tony Mancini and District 14 Councillor Lisa Blackburn. (stadium talk begins at 7:05)

[jerrym]

An economist says that the Halifax staff report on building a CFL stadium is the beginning of the end of the team bid, even though Halifax council voted to accept the report that suggested the city provide $20 million in support, the same amount previously suggested. Aside from signalling the team bidders that the city would only offer some seed money, the staff report said the proposed stadium location, Shannon Park, was a poor choice.

https://www.halifaxtoday.ca/local-ne...nomist-1952291

[bannedforlife]

An economist says that the Halifax staff report on building a CFL stadium is the beginning of the end of the team bid, even though Halifax council voted to accept the report that suggested the city provide $20 million in support, the same amount previously suggested. Aside from signalling the team bidders that the city would only offer some seed money, the staff report said the proposed stadium location, Shannon Park, was a poor choice.

https://www.halifaxtoday.ca/local-ne...nomist-1952291

Moshe Lander, the Cyril Wecht of stadium "economists"

[bannedforlife]

Too bad there’s a lot of local opposition.

https://www.news957.com/

[bannedforlife]

The Rick Howe Show - 9 am (Start at 2:40)
The Rick Howe Show - Thursday, December 12, 2019.

On Tuesday, Halifax council gave conditional approval to a one-time, $20-million contribution toward the construction of a stadium. Councillor Shawn Cleary voted against the motion, questioning the need for a community stadium. He gives us his reasoning.

We continue talking about the stadium with Councillor Steve Adams, who before voting in favour of the motion, asked CAO Jacques Dube about what capital projects would be scuttled if the stadium recommendation was accepted.

Anthony LeBlanc, Schooner Sports and Entertainment’s founding partner, acknowledges there is still a lot of work to do surrounding the stadium, including finding new land, securing financing, and getting the province to buy in. We have a conversation about it with LeBlanc.

[R.J]

Yeah, that Ambrosie, not real bright is he? Imagine persuading the Bronfmans to get involved, what a maroon!

2 Months later and the League still owns the Alouettes...

[bannedforlife]

2 Months later and the League still owns the Alouettes...

Just a matter of time, I'm not impatient. Maybe I'll stop posting Zurkowsky tweets with his timelines (n'aaw, I won't), but I'm not worried that it won't get done. People cried the blues about the Argos sale process and that ended up pretty good. People just gotta bitch, moan, and see negatives, I prefer to be positive about such things. Against all odds, they are even more attractive to buy now.

And if it takes more time to get the Bronfmans involved, I say take your time.