Well if you haven’t heard recently the Hamburg Town Council has set Wednesday December 17th 2008 for the residents of the town to voice their opinions on the proposed new ice arena and field house project. This forum will be held at the Hamburg High School at 7pm.
I don’t have a lot to say about it other than the fact that if this goes through, and all works well, then the town will effectively get a brand new facility for absolutely no cost to the residents. The deal basically is that the town will co-sign a loan to build the facility and the private organization headed by Dave Andreychuk would pay off the mortgage and all utilities.
The down side is that town employees that currently work at the arena would most likely lose their jobs. There is a risk to the deal. If for any reason the Andrechuck group were to renig on the deal, the town would be held responsible for the loan and then end up in a costly litigation to resolve the issue.
In today’s day and age, with people losing their jobs and government taxing the public as much as they can, this could be a god send for the town. We would have the newest and best public ice arena in the county and also have one of the only public field houses in WNY. The town would obviously benefit from all kinds of tournaments and outside money coming to our community. We all know that Western New York needs new development and this could be a great thing for us all. Our tax levy for recreation should also be adjusted down when the Council removes the current ice arena from the tax rolls.
Although I think it’s worth a try, I hesitate because we then have to ask ourselves “when do we say no to others who want a similar deal”? This kind of financing could get tricky and all it takes is one default on any loan the town co-signs and we get our taxes hiked.
If I were on the Town Council, I would require the Andreychuck group to place a few million bucks in some kind of account guarantee the loan. But I’m not on the Town Council and I have only a small say in this matter with the Recreation Advisory Board. The RAB hasn’t been called to meet on any of the specifics since the town accepted the plan put forth by Dave Andreychuck. I hope that we will eventually have a say in this. The last time we met on this issue the RAB wasn’t exactly thrilled with the plan and we weren’t allowed a lot of questions and answers because this was just in the planning stage and it hadn’t been through the State Alienation Process yet.
The State came back to the town and asked for more details and that is where this is now. If this plan is accepted by the Town Council then it goes back to the state for final approval. I think it would be next summer before work would start on the project. Just in time for Town Council elections! So any of you who think this isn’t a political battle, think again.
The Democrats oppose the project ( gotta save union jobs) and the Republicans support it ( Decrease the size and cost of government). The rest of us minor party members just want facts and to let the facts dictate the outcome.
Any thoughts on this out there?
this has been a long time coming, we will see what happens with who shows up to voice there opinions, i personally like the idea but i know it could have draw backs. SO please come out and have a voice in your town whether you like it or not
I highly doubt the current union-repr’d arena workers would be laid off by the Town. The Town would shove them into some meaningless job where they would keep their current wages and benefits.
Either way, I’m all for this plan. The demand for ice time around here is huge.
Do not be bamboozled by these business and bod charlatains who are behind this rink expansion. Keep in mind–it is not the structure we should get too excited about but the foundation of the people who will run it.
While u all fall in love with the idea of a 2nd ice pad to meet demand and Dave Andrychuk as a business partner to Jefferey Walker (does he even have a job?)–
lest we forget there have been very murky waters under the ice when it concerns transparency and truth with the HMHA at Nike.
Those two words seem to be in short supply since they haven’t made public to any of its members a disclosure of a balance sheet or bylaws.
I think a lot of people should take a hard look at theHMHA bod and project planners (Andrychuk), their level of competence, before we cast a decision.
The town better make this a referendum so we can all cast our lot to bond 10 million dollars in serious economic times.
Back to the foundation of this proposed expansion– the men who will run it.
Walker is already in bed with HMHA as a division director when he may have never coached there before. He is big into travel and is possibly aligning himself with the other travel coaches, I mean, impartial BOD members, to form the perfect placement of making Nike the ultimate in a travel empire with little left for the house league. He is the perfect crony in position to benefit a prurient interest group. He may just hire these guys then they’ll never leave.
Walker had an aborted golf dome project in the town four years ago and he burned bridges in the process along with pushing the town rec dept. away. Some say he’s an incorrigible.
Is this our guy we want to speerhead such a big commitment? Who’s to say he’ll keep to the carpet-bagging way of running when money isn’t streaming in to pay for two rinks. Then you and I will be saddled with a multimillion dollar albatross no one here can afford when our population is old and declining.
I vote no for the rink expansion.
Gary Klump…..Longstride 3 —is showing his true colors again…..LOL
I’m all for any private investment in our community. We need more of this. In our economic conditions, we should be happy with a large private investment in our community. It doesn’t matter what it is, Ice Rink or Field House, any private investment is good. I’m all for it. We need more private investments, Arts, Social, Community Activities. Let’s all be positive. Hey you never know, we might get a peace bridge someday, too.
Hey, I may need to get some ice skates. Is all about quality of life. The whole community benefits.
Long live the shortmindedness of the simpletons in the BURG. Hey, Hockey Guy, after u put your kids to bed and then watch your blender spin for a few hours, come on up for air. I am not longstride.
I am for the rink expansion just as long as people like u are not on the other side of the desk taking my money when I reserve ice for my teams and –dare I say–medicated friends.
Save me a seat at the HHS aud tomorrow night.
Merry xmas, KMA