Councilors back consultant study into new arena for city

Brantford city councilors have unanimously backed investigating the potential to build a facility capable of being a permanent home to an Ontario Hockey League franchise.

Ward 3 Coun. Dan McCreary got full support for his motion at a committee meeting on Tuesday directing city staff to hire a consultant, at an estimated cost of $200,000, to develop a plan for a 5,000-seat facility, which could host not just hockey games but other events .

Final approval is required at a council meeting later this month.

Consideration of creating such a facility is one of the terms in the city’s agreement with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, which will play at the Brantford Civic Center for at least three years, starting with the 2023-24 season. There is an option to extend the agreement for three additional one-year terms.

“The civic center has given us yeoman service but it’s not really capable of supporting the class and caliber of hockey the OHL will provide this community,” said McCreary.

He said he wanted to get things rolling in advance of the next hockey season because of the time it would take to build a new facility.

count. Gino Caputo called a multi-use facility “something the city needs” but questioned whether 5,000 seats is enough. A former London resident, Caputo said he suspects councilors in that city today would likely have built a 15,000-seat Budweiser Gardens in the downtown instead of 9,200 seats.

count. Michael Sullivan agreed, saying “the people of Brantford have been asking us to create more revenue here so we can have property tax easements in the future.”

“I think this is the perfect opportunity to bring in other events like concerts and wrestling matches and whatever else we can fill the place with. I think we should be looking in the 8,000- to 9,000-seat range.”

Inderjit Hans, the city’s general manager of public works, said the consultant won’t be limited to planning a facility with 5,000 seats. But, he said, “seeing how the numbers are when the season starts” will be among the considerations.

“It will be contingent on people buying tickets and showing up,” said Coun. Brian Van Tilborg. “That will give us the answer as to whether we can sustain this or not.”

The Hamilton Bulldogs are finalizing an agreement with the city to bring the team to Brantford. The Bulldogs had been looking for an arena to play in while their home arena, FirstOntario Center in Hamilton, is undergoing renovations.

The 56-year-old civic center will undergo extensive renovations to bring it up to OHL standards. While the Bulldogs will pay for the estimated $7.5 million in upgrades, the city will give the team a leasehold improvement allowance of up to $3 million for the work. If the Bulldogs decide to leave after three years, they will return the $3 million to the city.

Mayor Kevin Davis said the renovations will add another 10 to 20 years to the life of the civic centre. He said part of the consultant’s plan will look at how to use both the civic center and a new facility.

“The civic center gets (the Bulldogs) here but, even with the money we’re putting into it, it doesn’t keep an OHL team here long term,” said Davis.

“But all of this is for naught if we as a community do not support the team come September and if we don’t fill that arena each night.”

A report that will include the estimated capital and operating costs and potential locations of a facility is to come back to city council by the end of the year.