Each of the teams that call Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre home – three in all – will be temporarily relocated over the next two years while the venue undergoes major renovations. The teams previously thought they would be able to continue playing out of the York Boulevard location during construction. Pictured is concept artwork of the newly renovated arena. Photo credit: HUPEG
The Hamilton Bulldogs will have to find a new home for approximately two years while the FirstOntario Centre gets entirely revamped. The Hamilton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) also call the FirstOntario Centre home and will also have to temporarily relocate.
Teams were reportedly given official notice of their pending displacement last Friday. It was originally believed that all three Hamilton-based clubs would be able to continue playing at the arena while renovations were taking place since construction was going to occur in stages.
But that was before news broke in July that arena revamp plans were to become significantly more involved. The Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG), which is in charge of the renovations, originally projected approximately $50 million in upgrades.
However, global sports and entertainment company Oak View Group (OVG) became involved in the project, a move that allowed HUPEG to announce an even larger scope for the arena revamp. The total investment is now expected to be somewhere between $100 million to $200 million (all privately funded and at no cost to the taxpayer).
As a result of the project’s larger scope, it became less likely that teams would be able to keep playing at the arena during the revamp.
But while all three teams knew that they might have to find temporary homes, they were only given official notice of that fact last week, leading to some confusion and anger from team officials.
Michael Andlauer, the owner of the Hamilton Bulldogs, went so far as to tell the Hamilton Spectator that he was “pissed off”. Likewise, Mike Morreale, commissioner of the CEBL, said he was “angry” and that “the communication breakdown has just been incredible.”
The current 2022-23 season will remain unaffected, but the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons will be heavily impacted. The renovations are slated to take approximately 20 months, beginning in the summer/early fall of 2023 and likely ending in 2025.
Officials from all three FirstOntario Centre tenants say that it will be difficult to keep their teams in the Hamilton area during the displacement period due to a lack of alternative stadiums. Some teams, or even all three, may have to play in an entirely different city.
It should be noted that, while the project has received initial council approval, the final project plans will still need to be approved, a vote that will likely come in early 2023.
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 these upgrades 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.
The plan also includes $500 million in auxiliary mixed-use development which will include condos, of which 5 per cent will include affordable housing in one of the buildings. HUPEG has already taken over operations and maintenance of the FirstOntario Centre and two other venues as of April 1, 2022. The City of Hamilton retains ownership of the land and facilities.
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 and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. He also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal from Governor General David Johnston and formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. He is currently employed as an Office Administrator at RE/MAX Escarpment. His journalistic work is independent of his other positions.
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.
