Renovations of the FirstOntario Centre (pictured in concept image) were initially expected to cost around $50 million. Now with the involvement of Oak View Group, total investment in the facility will be an estimated $100 to $200 million. Photo credit: Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group
It appears that the scheduled revamp of the FirstOntario Centre, home of the Hamilton Bulldogs, will now be bigger than originally planned. This week, the project’s director, Jasper Kujavsky of the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG) took to the airwaves on 900 CHML’s Good Morning Hamilton to announce that the plan just became “significantly larger.”
In addition to the plan’s alterations, the timeline of the project will be delayed. Construction was originally scheduled for fall 2022, but was then pushed back until spring 2023. Kujavsky now says that the project is expected to start in summer 2023 with reopening slated for fall 2024, if all goes well.
Kujavsky credits the newly announced larger scope of the project to the involvement of Oak View Group. Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company co-founded by former Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke.
The renovations of the FirstOntario Centre were expected to be in the range of $50 million (funded privately by the involved groups at no cost to the taxpayer). However, the total investment in the stadium refurbishment is now expected to be somewhere between $100 million to $200 million, at least double the original figure.
One consequence of the larger redevelopment of the stadium is that it’s more likely that the Hamilton Bulldogs and other stadium tenants will have to find temporary home venues for the 2023/24 season. The project was initially going to take place in phases with the hope that teams would still be able to use the facility during construction.
While the project has received initial council approval, the final project plans still need to be approved, a vote that will likely come in early 2023.
On a financial level, the arena revamp has certainly become larger, but it remains unclear whether the increase in economic investment means the addition of new stadium features beyond the original plan.
The current renovation plans include the following:
Exterior and Street-Level Changes
The FirstOntario Centre will get an entirely new exterior look complete with a state-of-the-art outdoor video board. At street level along York Boulevard and Bay Street, the arena will have a year-round sports lounge, e-sports zone, and restaurants.
Interior Seating and Concourse
The seating capacity will remain more or less the same at 17,500 people, but the lower bowl will be transformed to have better sightlines and more comfortable seats. The upper bowl will also be renovated, and a retractable curtaining system will be installed to block off the upper bowl when not in use.
An improved jumbotron will be installed, there will be an expanded concourse with a microbrewery, and the lower bowl will be changed to include suites and hospitality clubs.
The Agreement
The agreement for all of these upgrades to take place is part of a 49-year deal between the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG). HUPEG is a consortium made up of Carmen’s Group, Mercanti Family and Associates, LiUNA, Meridian Credit Union, and Paletta Group. The agreement will reportedly save taxpayers an estimated $155 million over 30 years.
HUPEG will take over all operations and maintenance of the FirstOntario Centre, the FirstOntario Concert Hall, and the Hamilton Convention Centre.
Three major teams currently play out of the FirstOntario Centre: the Hamilton Bulldogs (Ontario Hockey League), Hamilton Honey Badgers (Canadian Elite Basketball League), and the Toronto Rock (National Lacrosse League).
The plan also includes $500 million in auxiliary mixed-use development which will include condos, of which five per cent will include affordable housing in one of the buildings.
HUPEG took over operations and maintenance of the arena and two other venues as of April 1, 2022. The City of Hamilton retains ownership of the land and facilities.
Note that the author of this article, Kevin Geenen, is running for Ward 5 City Council Hamilton (Gray Road to Red Hill Parkway plus the Beach Strip). Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Kevin Geenen reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on social media. He is a regular contributor with The Hamilton Independent and has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. He is known for Hamilton Neighbourhood Watch crime updates and no-nonsense news graphics. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal from Governor General David Johnston. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
