Brantford city council unanimously approved an agreement with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs Tuesday night, seeing the hockey team relocate to Brantford for at least the next three seasons.
Impending renovations at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton is causing a long-term closure of the arena and forcing the Bulldogs to find a new home.
“We are so thankful for the enthusiastic and immediate response from Mayor Davis, Brantford council and city staff,” team owner Michael Andlauer said.
“Together, we have been able to make a home for the Bulldogs in a short and unexpected period of time.”
IT’S OFFICIAL! We’ll be temporarily relocating to Brantford, beginning with the 2023-24 season.
🔗 Read about it here:https://t.co/4kCzQujYR2
— Hamilton Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) February 8, 2023
Renovations estimated at a cost of $7.5 million are necessary for the Brantford Civic Centre arena to be fit to house an OHL team.
The commitment includes upgrades to the concessions, bathrooms, change rooms and the jumbotron.
The Bulldogs organization will fund most of the upgrades for the 56-year-old arena.
The city will provide up to $3 million for the team, coming from the Casino Legacy Reserve.
The installation of an HVAC system estimated at $1.625 million will also be funded by the city.
READ MORE: Councillors to vote on bringing Hamilton Bulldogs to Brantford
An internal assessment by city staff estimates a total direct economic impact of over $4 million for Brantford every year from this partnership.
The increase in income will come from visiting teams staying overnight and fan spending at local businesses.
“Based on the community’s overwhelmingly positive reaction to this news so far, I’m very confident that the Bulldogs fanbase will grow substantially in Brantford,” Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis said.
“I want to thank the Bulldogs organization for having faith and confidence in Brantford, as well as all the city staff who worked tirelessly to make this a reality for our deserving community.”
READ MORE: OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs considers move to Brantford
