Tim Hortons Field July 5/2014



Ticat home game still a go - for now
Scott Radley thespec.com July 3/2014

Last week, everyone involved in the stadium project said the plan was to have Tim Hortons Field ready for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' first Canadian Football League home game July 26.

A week closer to D-Day, that hasn't really changed.

A four-hour Pan Am Games facilities meeting in Toronto on Thursday involving all the principals ended with those involved still saying they're doing everything they can to make that happen.

"We're still in negotiations trying to get the game in," says Gerry Davis, general manager of public works, adding there's another meeting scheduled Monday in Toronto to continue figuring it all out.

Citing the confidentiality of the meeting, he wouldn't offer any details of what exactly was being negotiated. However, he acknowledged there are challenges.

"There are a number of issues that have to be resolved," Davis says.

They revolve around the race to get enough done to be ready for inspection toward an occupancy permit, a process that's scheduled to begin in just 12 days.

The city's building code requirements about what must be done to receive such a permit are clear but a little complicated due to the uniqueness of the project. Distilled to its most-simple form, whatever area is going to be used must be completely finished before the city will sign off on it.

The absolute minimum, therefore, would be the installation of 24,000 seats — the backs are in place but not the actual seat — as well as all hand railings and other safety features in the public area. Entrances and exits must be marked and clear, and all areas not being used must be securely blocked by walls or gates.

It gets more complicated if private boxes, the press box, concourses, washrooms and other enclosed areas are to be occupied.

For those to be OK'd, the rooms must be completed, sprinkler systems must be in working order, plumbing, sewage, lighting and electrical must be operational. This includes all hallways and stairwells.

Essentially, the building department must be satisfied that anyplace someone might be while in the facility is safe. And no, there's no leeway for being nearly ready.

"It's either done or it's not," says Ed VanderWindt, the city's chief building official. "We will sign off when it's complete."

Not on the list of areas needed to be inspected for the permit are the grounds, including the scoreboard, which also still has to be erected. Also not on the list is the field itself.

One of the areas that's been a topic of much discussion is the installation of the turf, with good reason. FieldTurf's website says it takes the company 27 days from the time the turf arrives on site until completion. This sounds like a significant problem since it only arrived Wednesday and the first game is just 24 days later.

But FieldTurf's Darren Gill says the time frame on the website is "a casual estimate" and should be seen as a guide rather than gospel.

"We've installed fields in a very, very short period of time," he says.

Rollout and installation of the turf began Thursday.

But, back to the stadium itself. Last week, at that briefing on the state of the project, it was made clear the request for inspection would be made on July 15 with a goal of having a permit granted by July 21. Any later and the Ticats wouldn't have enough time to move in and get ready for showtime.

That means the builders have 18 days to have all the required work done if there's to be a game.