Brantford Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer says he’s committed to keeping his Ontario Hockey League team in the city if a new sports and entertainment center is built.
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“Brantford has exceeded my expectations,” Andlauer said a news release issued by the city on Friday, which called for private sector involvement in the development of a center. “The fans are fantastic and have shown us tremendous support from Day 1. The warm welcome and obvious enthusiasm for the Bulldogs has meant a lot to the team and to me personally.
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“I appreciate and support all of the city’s efforts, including their commitment to evaluate the feasibility of a new sports and entertainment center, and I can unequivocally state that if council commits to building this facility, I will commit the Brantford Bulldogs to playing here in Brantford for the long term.”
The commitment comes as the city officially launched an “expression of interest” process on Friday to seek private sector involvement in the “development, financing, operations and management” of a new multi-million-dollar center that meets Ontario Hockey League standards.
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Investigating the feasibility of building a new facility is part of a deal that brought the Bulldogs to the civic center last year. Under the deal, the Bulldogs will play their home games at the newly renovated civic center for the next three years with three one-year options.
“This project is not just about a sports and entertainment center,” said Mayor Kevin Davis. “It’s about building a vibrant and thriving community anchored by the city’s downtown. We look forward to the next phase of this exciting journey and continuing to work collaboratively with our residents and business community to make Brantford a primary destination for sports and entertainment.”
At a meeting held earlier this year, council directed city staff to begin work to “understand and document potential issues” associated with developing a facility on the civic center site at 79 Market St. South, as well as initiating a request for potential business partnerships .
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A decision about whether or not to formally proceed with the project is expected to be made later this year. If approved, construction of a facility could begin as early as 2025, and open in 2027.
Friday’s news release refers to a series of city-owned properties “within close proximity” of the planned center the city is prepared to sell to help pay for the capital costs of project.
They include:
- A six-acre vacant lot at 42-46 Erie Ave. with a suggested use of a mix of residential and commercial development.
- A two-acre parcel toward the rear of the 79 Market St. South site, adjacent to the Grand River, with a suggested use as an “iconic hotel” or residential project.
- A parcel at 22 Grand River Ave. with suggested uses including row and stacked townhomes.
- Property at 59 Icomm Dr., which currently houses the downtown parking garage and Farmer’s Market, with a suggested use for “lower-level commercial parking, potentially including a commercial market hub, with high-density residential units above.”
- A municipal parking lot at 41 Dalhousie St., which “offers the chance for high-density residential development, with the possibility of incorporating ground-level commercial space.”
- The transit terminal and parking lot at 64 Darling St., with suggested uses for mixed-use commercial/residential development with lower-level parking and commercial entities, and above-level higher density residential units.
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“Through the implementation of a land value capture approach, the city stands to benefit financially from tax revenues generated by the development of surrounding properties,” said the release. “By leveraging the increased land values resulting from the sports and entertainment center project, the city can not only enhance its tax revenue streams but also ensure sustainable funding to offset costs to build and operate the new center.”
An expression of interest process launched by the city also identifies the type of entities the city could partner with to acquire naming rights to the facility.
Responses to the city’s call for potential partnerships will be reviewed by city staff who will get direction from city council on next steps, which could include “entering into direct negotiations,” said the release.
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