Hamilton has scored a winning proposal, say councillors, agreeing to relocate the Canadian Football Hall of Fame from 58 Jackson Street West to Tim Horton’s Field by next year.
Politicians at their July 6 general issues committee meeting unanimously approved a plan crafted by the hall of fame board of directors and the Canadian Football League that will see a new structure built on the west side of Tim Horton’s Field to accommodate the facility.
“It will bring a ‘wow factor’ to the Hall of Fame,” said Mountain councillor Scott Duvall, who is also on the board of directors.
But Duvall and councillors all agreed one of the most important aspects of the agreement with the CFL is the hall of fame will remain in Hamilton.
“It will maintain the presence of that historic institution,” said Ward 2 councillor Jason Farr, who is on the hall of fame board of directors.
The agreement also includes the city providing $250,000 toward the new hall of fame structure, and $25,000 to the hall of fame for operating costs. The hall of fame will close at the end of July, but the city will still allow the CFL, which will take over the cost of maintaining the artifacts, to store the material until 2025. City Manager Chris Murray says the CFL could be using the building beyond 10 years.
The CFL, said Mark Copeland, president, will oversee the cost of the new glass enclosed structure to Tim Horton’s Field, expecting it to be constructed in the offseason starting in the fall. The idea is to install the busts within the glass enclosure. Also part of the new hall of fame will be a new hall of fame media wing, and the annual CFL Hall of Fame game will take place at Tim Horton’s Field beginning next year for the next five years.
The CFL will also pay $25,000 of the remaining $50,000 grant the city provided to the hall of fame last year. The original grant to the hall of fame the city provided in 2014 was $100,000.
Copeland said the CFL has a number of ideas to boost the hall of fame’s attendance, including taking some of the artifacts on a cross-country tour of Canada. In addition, he said the league will improve the hall of fame’s digital presence.
Duvall said over the years the hall of fame has watched as attendance declined, and sponsors dropped out, unsure of the facility’s future. The agreement between the city and the CFL was set to expire in 2018. The city, he says, had been contributing over $130,000 to the hall of fame to keep it running.
“This is a win-win,” said Duvall. “This is great news.”
Farr said the idea is to integrate the hall of fame busts and memorabilia into Tim Horton’s Field just like what Yankee Stadium has done with its historical artifacts.
Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson, a former hall of fame board member, applauded the agreement, saying the facility is “tired. It needs to be refreshed.”
Ward 5 councillor Chad Collins, who also sat on the board of directors, said for years the CFL provided almost no support to the hall of fame. He said there were also indications from the CFL that it was considering relocating the facility to another city.
“Recently, there has been more open discussions (with the CFL),” said Collins.
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame was awarded to Hamilton in 1963 after former mayor Lloyd Jackson lobbied for the facility. The city and league established an agreement for the hall of fame in 1968, and it opened at its current location in 1972.
As to what the city will do with the empty space once the hall of fame leaves the building beside City Hall, Murray said there are ideas such as using it as an “innovation lab” to investigate various ideas from city staff and McMaster University officials. He pointed to Vancouver which founded a networking location to advance and foster innovation to benefit the city.
Hamilton has scored a winning proposal, say councillors, agreeing to relocate the Canadian Football Hall of Fame from 58 Jackson Street West to Tim Horton’s Field by next year.
Politicians at their July 6 general issues committee meeting unanimously approved a plan crafted by the hall of fame board of directors and the Canadian Football League that will see a new structure built on the west side of Tim Horton’s Field to accommodate the facility.
“It will bring a ‘wow factor’ to the Hall of Fame,” said Mountain councillor Scott Duvall, who is also on the board of directors.
But Duvall and councillors all agreed one of the most important aspects of the agreement with the CFL is the hall of fame will remain in Hamilton.
“It will maintain the presence of that historic institution,” said Ward 2 councillor Jason Farr, who is on the hall of fame board of directors.
The agreement also includes the city providing $250,000 toward the new hall of fame structure, and $25,000 to the hall of fame for operating costs. The hall of fame will close at the end of July, but the city will still allow the CFL, which will take over the cost of maintaining the artifacts, to store the material until 2025. City Manager Chris Murray says the CFL could be using the building beyond 10 years.
The CFL, said Mark Copeland, president, will oversee the cost of the new glass enclosed structure to Tim Horton’s Field, expecting it to be constructed in the offseason starting in the fall. The idea is to install the busts within the glass enclosure. Also part of the new hall of fame will be a new hall of fame media wing, and the annual CFL Hall of Fame game will take place at Tim Horton’s Field beginning next year for the next five years.
The CFL will also pay $25,000 of the remaining $50,000 grant the city provided to the hall of fame last year. The original grant to the hall of fame the city provided in 2014 was $100,000.
Copeland said the CFL has a number of ideas to boost the hall of fame’s attendance, including taking some of the artifacts on a cross-country tour of Canada. In addition, he said the league will improve the hall of fame’s digital presence.
Duvall said over the years the hall of fame has watched as attendance declined, and sponsors dropped out, unsure of the facility’s future. The agreement between the city and the CFL was set to expire in 2018. The city, he says, had been contributing over $130,000 to the hall of fame to keep it running.
“This is a win-win,” said Duvall. “This is great news.”
Farr said the idea is to integrate the hall of fame busts and memorabilia into Tim Horton’s Field just like what Yankee Stadium has done with its historical artifacts.
Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson, a former hall of fame board member, applauded the agreement, saying the facility is “tired. It needs to be refreshed.”
Ward 5 councillor Chad Collins, who also sat on the board of directors, said for years the CFL provided almost no support to the hall of fame. He said there were also indications from the CFL that it was considering relocating the facility to another city.
“Recently, there has been more open discussions (with the CFL),” said Collins.
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame was awarded to Hamilton in 1963 after former mayor Lloyd Jackson lobbied for the facility. The city and league established an agreement for the hall of fame in 1968, and it opened at its current location in 1972.
As to what the city will do with the empty space once the hall of fame leaves the building beside City Hall, Murray said there are ideas such as using it as an “innovation lab” to investigate various ideas from city staff and McMaster University officials. He pointed to Vancouver which founded a networking location to advance and foster innovation to benefit the city.
Hamilton has scored a winning proposal, say councillors, agreeing to relocate the Canadian Football Hall of Fame from 58 Jackson Street West to Tim Horton’s Field by next year.
Politicians at their July 6 general issues committee meeting unanimously approved a plan crafted by the hall of fame board of directors and the Canadian Football League that will see a new structure built on the west side of Tim Horton’s Field to accommodate the facility.
“It will bring a ‘wow factor’ to the Hall of Fame,” said Mountain councillor Scott Duvall, who is also on the board of directors.
But Duvall and councillors all agreed one of the most important aspects of the agreement with the CFL is the hall of fame will remain in Hamilton.
“It will maintain the presence of that historic institution,” said Ward 2 councillor Jason Farr, who is on the hall of fame board of directors.
The agreement also includes the city providing $250,000 toward the new hall of fame structure, and $25,000 to the hall of fame for operating costs. The hall of fame will close at the end of July, but the city will still allow the CFL, which will take over the cost of maintaining the artifacts, to store the material until 2025. City Manager Chris Murray says the CFL could be using the building beyond 10 years.
The CFL, said Mark Copeland, president, will oversee the cost of the new glass enclosed structure to Tim Horton’s Field, expecting it to be constructed in the offseason starting in the fall. The idea is to install the busts within the glass enclosure. Also part of the new hall of fame will be a new hall of fame media wing, and the annual CFL Hall of Fame game will take place at Tim Horton’s Field beginning next year for the next five years.
The CFL will also pay $25,000 of the remaining $50,000 grant the city provided to the hall of fame last year. The original grant to the hall of fame the city provided in 2014 was $100,000.
Copeland said the CFL has a number of ideas to boost the hall of fame’s attendance, including taking some of the artifacts on a cross-country tour of Canada. In addition, he said the league will improve the hall of fame’s digital presence.
Duvall said over the years the hall of fame has watched as attendance declined, and sponsors dropped out, unsure of the facility’s future. The agreement between the city and the CFL was set to expire in 2018. The city, he says, had been contributing over $130,000 to the hall of fame to keep it running.
“This is a win-win,” said Duvall. “This is great news.”
Farr said the idea is to integrate the hall of fame busts and memorabilia into Tim Horton’s Field just like what Yankee Stadium has done with its historical artifacts.
Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson, a former hall of fame board member, applauded the agreement, saying the facility is “tired. It needs to be refreshed.”
Ward 5 councillor Chad Collins, who also sat on the board of directors, said for years the CFL provided almost no support to the hall of fame. He said there were also indications from the CFL that it was considering relocating the facility to another city.
“Recently, there has been more open discussions (with the CFL),” said Collins.
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame was awarded to Hamilton in 1963 after former mayor Lloyd Jackson lobbied for the facility. The city and league established an agreement for the hall of fame in 1968, and it opened at its current location in 1972.
As to what the city will do with the empty space once the hall of fame leaves the building beside City Hall, Murray said there are ideas such as using it as an “innovation lab” to investigate various ideas from city staff and McMaster University officials. He pointed to Vancouver which founded a networking location to advance and foster innovation to benefit the city.