Brantford city council to vote on new sports, entertainment centre

The City of Brantford has a big decision to make Thursday night on if it will give the go ahead for a new sports and entertainment centre.

A final vote on building a new multi-million-dollar sports and entertainment centre is before council. 

If the vote passes, the new arena will become the home of the city’s Ontario Hockey League hockey team, and also host other music and entertainment events.

‘If you build it, they will come’ is what Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis is saying.

“Tonight is probably going to be one of the most important council meetings in decades,” said Davis. “Tonight we’re deciding whether to give staff the final instructions to proceed to finalize the construction contract for the new sports and entertainment centre and to then proceed to the building stage.”

If approved, the new arena comes with a price tag of $152 million.

It would be built directly in front of the existing TD Civic Centre, which will remain.

READ MORE: Brantford city council considering new sports, entertainment centre

The new arena calls for 5,200 seats, while the existing one has just under 3,000.

“This will be the centrepiece of a sports and entertainment district that we want to develop in this area and we want people to live in this area,” said Davis. “In 10 years, if we decide to proceed with this facility, you won’t even believe how this will change this area.”

Brantford resident and longtime Bulldogs fan Matt Allman is hoping the council votes “yes.”

“I was born and raised here and we’ve seen a lot of ups and downs in downtown and … this will be the linchpin to start a bunch of other redevelopments that are happening in and around the area,” said Allman. “It will really change the face of Brantford downtown.”

Sports economist professor Moshe Lander at Concordia University says Brantford doesn’t need a new arena.

“What are you going to use it for?” Lander said. “This is one of those things where cities feel the need that they need a new arena to put themselves on the map, as they like to say. This is going to get all of the conventions that are going to come there way. This is going to get them the Brier … this will get them the world hockey championships. Brantford has to know full well what type of city it is and what type of events it’s going to attract.”

The mayor obviously has a different opinion — not only does he say it will keep the Bulldogs in Brantford.

“But for me, it’s more than just that — it’s also having an entertainment centre,” Davis said. “A centre where people can come to see a concert, they can come to see Disney on Ice, they can come to see Cirque du Soleil. Those kinds of concerts and events, we simply cannot host here.”

If approved, construction would start in the new year and be ready for the 2028 season.

READ MORE: Improved travel times, reliability to come to Brantford Transit Aug. 31