HAMILTON, ONT.—Hamilton, Ont., home of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF), has elected to move the museum to the new Tim Hortons Field from a municipally-owned building beside city hall.
The new $500,000 glass-enclosed building will be attached to the northwest end of the stadium. It will include a "legends row" for the busts of hall members behind the north-end patio as well as a "media hall of fame" and other related displays, including the 10-foot statue of two players that now sits out front of the current location.
Council voted unanimously for the move, with the city to pony up $250,000 toward the bill and the Canadian Football League picking up the other half of the tab.
The current agreement between the City of Hamilton and the CFHOF is due to expire in 2018. A new proposal has been reached, which will allow the city to be an active partner and play an important role, while ensuring the CFHOF is financially stable and is able to grow its fan base and engagement across Canada.
"The CFL will now be responsible for all revenue and expenses for the CFHOF. They will have full control of it," said Mark DeNobile, CFHOF executive director.
The CFHOF has been located in Hamilton since 1963. Over the years, revenues and attendance have declined, with the museum seeing fewer than 2,000 visitors a year. In June 2014 it was given a $100,000 city bailout.
A letter to council from the CFL states that the move will:
— raise and grow the profile of the CFHOF;
— better leverage the CFHOF for grassroots football development;
— inform and educate the public on CFHOF programs and initiatives; and
— more deeply engage parts of Canada beyond Hamilton.
In a report to the city manager’s office, prepared by Mike Kirkopoulos, Hamilton’s corporate communications and intergovernmental affairs director, he states:
"The city currently spends approximately $130,000 on an annual basis to operate the facility. On a number of occasions the city has been asked to provide operational funding to the Hall of Fame. Relocating the Hall of Fame to Tim Hortons Field has the potential to save the city operating funds, as moving forward all remaining costs will be at the expense of the CFL."
The proposal calls for the CFHOF are to be closed by the end of this July and "we’re still working out details, the building contract hasn’t been awarded yet, but the new hall will be open at Tim Hortons Field for the 2016 (football) season," said DeNobile.
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