Vote on further stadium study delayed after intense debate
Posted Aug 3, 2011 05:56:15 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A decision on further study of a stadium in Halifax will have to wait another week.
Regional councillors received a report from a citizen’s committee Tuesday that recommended spending $275,000 on Phase Two of a feasibility study.
Councillors debated the recommendation for more than two hours Tuesday, with some saying they’re not convinced Halifax needs a stadium and others saying abandoning the study would be a waste of $100,000.
Coun. Dawn Sloane (Halifax-Downtown) tells News 95.7, she’s in favour of going to Phase Two because it will provide more detailed information on possible sites and funding partners.
“I think that’s the fundamental part that we really need to look at, is partners,” she said. “Are Dal and SMU involved? They were at the table when they talked to us in Phase One, are they willing to go all the way in Phase Two to make Phase Three happen?”
Others, like Coun. Jackie Barkhouse (Woodside-Eastern Passage,) said there are too many questions that remain unanswered – such as where the money will come from to pay for the new facility.
“I don’t think it’s in the municipality’s best interest at this point to do that,” she said. “The report didn’t do it for me. I wanted to have a very clear feeling after I read it and I just didn’t have a level of comfort at all.”
The debate will resume next week.
