Go Dogs Go! Brantford city council approves $152 million Sports and Entertainment Centre

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Brantford city council has approved plans to build a new $152 million “Madhouse on Market.”

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Councillors, at a special city council meeting Thursday (Dec. 4), voted in favour of a plan that will see a new sports and entertainment centre at 79 Market St. S. beside the existing civic centre. Construction is slated to begin in 2026 and, if all goes well, it will open in September 2028.

While some councillors spoke about how the centre will help revitalize the lower downtown, Coun. Linda Hunt had a more fundamental reason for supporting the new facility.

Once the centre is built the Ward 4 councillor will, for the first time, be able to watch the Brantford Bulldogs in action.

“I’m probably one of the only members of council who has not seen a Bulldog game because I’m in a wheelchair and if I went to a game I’d have to sit at ice level and I’m not tall enough to look over the boards,” Hunt said. “For that reason, I applaud the design team for considering the fact that this needs to be a state-of-the-art facility but also a state-of-the-art accessible facility.

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“I want to thank the design team for accepting my feedback.”

Hunt said she was vocal about the need to make the facility accessible and advocated for an increased number of accessible parking spaces.

“I’m looking forward to being able to participate not only by attending hockey games but everything else that we’ll be able to host there,” Hunt said.

Hunt lives with multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair for mobility. She made the comments prior to city council voting unanimously to move forward with the sports and entertainment centre.

Mayor Kevin Davis also spoke about how much more inclusive the new facility will be when it’s finished.

“When you take a hard look at the civic centre, a 60-year-old building, and you have to ask ‘does it work for us?’ and I would suggest that it does not work for us,” Davis said. “The way it is laid out, we’re probably excluding 20 to 25 per cent of the population from using it.

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“Anyone who uses a walker, anyone who uses a cane any who has trouble walking or if you have a wheelchair the civic centre is not a friendly place for you.”

The civic centre doesn’t have any elevators, there’s no escalators, the stairs are steep and without railings, Davis said.

Moreover, there is a lack of washrooms for women, he added.

“This new facility will give us something that will allow all of our residents to fully participate in all events be it hockey or a trade show,” Davis said. “The seats will be four to five inches wider, all of the stairs to the seats will have railings and there will be three elevators and at least one escalator.

The new facility will have 50 to 150 spots for wheelchairs that are up higher.

There will be more washrooms for women and men and also have gender-neutral washrooms.

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“This new sports and entertainment centre will better meet the needs of all residents,” Davis said. “It’s long overdue and we’d have to replace the civic centre sometime within the next 10 years anyway.

“We’ve got a golden opportunity here do this.”

The presence of the Brantford Bulldogs gives the new centre the anchor tenant it needs to be feasible, Davis said.

Coun. Mandy Samwell said the Bulldogs have brought a lot of pride to Brantford.

“This project lets us build on that feeling,” Samwell said adding that families won’t have to travel out of town for entertainment once the centre is built.

“With Earl Haig (Family Fun Park) next door, we’re creating a true family destination, a place where families can spend the day at the park and the wander over to the centre for a festival or a game.”

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The new centre will also bring more people to the downtown, Samwell said.

Several other councillors also spoke in favour of the proposal and council also heard from representatives of the Brantford Bulldogs including members of the Hyman family.

Matt Allman, a Bulldogs fan and Brantford resident, urged councillors to support the project.

“Everyone is concerned about the social issues that are affecting not just our city but all cities our size in southwestern Ontario right now,” Allman said. “A new hospital, housing, homelessness, addiction, mental health but approving the SEC doesn’t take away funding from the priorities.

“The city has already proven that by making major million dollar investments in housing including Lucy Marco Place and Fox Ridge.

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“These will be significant supportive housing hubs.”

Councillors also heard a detailed report from city CAO Michael Bradley who explained how the project will be financed and how parking issues will be addressed.

Here are some of the highlights of the plan:

COST:  Originally projected to cost about $140 million, the updated cost is now projected to be $152 million.

Reasons for the increase include: moving the centre to the southeast quadrant of the property from a spot immediately south of the civic centre. The move is necessary because of the limited space between the civic centre and the flood-control dike.

Moving the centre created an opportunity to create a civic plaza, a place for people to gather, that will frame the entrance way to both centres. The shift will result in more landscaping, generate more parking spaces but adds about $3.3 million to the project. Upgrades including improvements to the local storm water system are projected to cost $1.1 million; clean up of the site, previously used for heavy industry, is projected to cost another $1.2 million; and the addition of LED ribbon lighting around the seating area will cost an estimated $1.2 million.

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Meanwhile, construction costs have increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic with various sources, according to the report, suggesting the increase is somewhere between 35 and 55 per cent since 2021.

Previous cost estimates were based on similar project completed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

FINANCING:  The project will be paid for by a $140 million municipal debenture with the balance paid for by funds held in a sports and entertainment reserve. The reserve funds will come from the proceeds generated by the sale of city properties; reallocated casino revenue, fundraising, sponsorships, operator contributions, municipal accommodation tax revenues and net incremental tax increases from new development in the downtown area.

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The detailed financial plan in the report shows the money going into the SEC reserve on an ongoing basis being enough to pay for the project and service the annual debenture repayment for the entire financing life of the project.

“Thus, the SEC would not require any contribution from existing taxpayers,” says the report,

ECONOMIC BENEFITS:  According to the report, the project, during construction, would generate 1,260 full-time equivalent jobs, $90 million in employment income and $24.9 million in federal and provincial tax revenue.

Following construction annual operations would generate $13.2 million in spending, 95 full-time equivalent jobs, $6 million in employment income and $2.5 million in federal and provincial tax revenue. Over 10 years, operations would generate $145 million in spending, 1,030 full-time equivalent employees, $67.8 million in employment income and $26.1 million in federal and provincial tax revenue.

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PARKING:  According to the report, parking for 1,375 vehicles is projected for hockey games and parking for larger capacity events is 1,560. Once the centre is built, there will be 1,647 parking spaces at the SEC/ civic centre site, Earl Haig Family Fun Park, Icomm Drive Parkade and Brantford Farmer’s Market as well as some parking spots currently being leased by Elements Casino Brantford.

“There would be adequate parking in the immediate vicinity of the project for the SEC’s projected parking needs. Notwithstanding this, there are, in addition, another 595 parking spots within an estimated 15-minute walk to the SEC.”

INTERIOR:  The updated design includes more than 5,200 seats with a main level event floor that will house Brantford Bulldogs team spaces, visitor team space and storage; the second floor or concourse level will have spectator seating and access to a range of amenities; the third level will have private suites, additional premium seats and areas for media and press; the fourth level will have mechanical systems.

“Accessibility for persons with disabilities is integrated throughout the building,” the report says

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