So, Worms was praising the HHOF appointment and is now highly critical of them?
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/04/06/why-is-hockey-hall-of-fame-getting-a-break
Turns out Councillor Rob Ford being named to the Hockey Hall of Fame board is not the story.
The average NHL team is worth $490 million and the Toronto Maple Leafs are valued at more than $1 billion. The average NHL player earns $2.4 million but some players make $12 million.
The average NHL hockey ticket is $100. The average Toronto homeowner pays $3,612 in property taxes while the average monthly apartment rental is $1,400.
Meanwhile, the Hockey Hall of Fame pays no property taxes and $1 a year in rent for 50,000 square feet in the heart of downtown. It means the cradle of hockey history and custodian of the Stanley Cup receives what amounts to a subsidy of between $1.5-million and $2-million a year.
Seems the HHOF, which draws 300,000 visitors a year, is a registered charity or a “not for profit cultural institute.”
But it’s not a city department, a city service or housed in a city building so why are Toronto taxpayers subsidizing it?
I set out to find out and had an honest, friendly, enlightening conversion with Hall president Jeff Denomme.
“The Hockey Hall of Fame’s special relationship with the municipal governments in Toronto is entrenched from the development of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s first building at Exhibition Place (on the Canadian National Exhibition grounds owned by the City of Toronto) in 1961 to the city’s progressive assistance and support in the establishment and sustainability of the Hall’s museum premises at Brookfield Place (formerly BCE Place), 1993 to present,” Jeff told me.
Special arrangement describes it — done during Mayor Art Eggleton’s time.
It’s what amounts to a 99-year, rent-free lease that is just 23-years in. After more than 20 years at the CNE, the HHOF was looking for a new home. Montreal and Peterborough were considered but the location at Front and Yonge Sts. was the best deal.
“In the early 1990’s, the developer of BCE Place (later renamed to Brookfield Place), Bell Canada Enterprises, Inc., was required by the City of Toronto to restore the historic Bank of Montreal building on the corner of Front and Yonge Sts., given that it is designated as a heritage property pursuant to the Ontario Heritage Act. The Bank of Montreal building is the iconic streetscape façade of the Hockey Hall of Fame and forms a significant part of its exhibition facilities,” said Denomme.
“Specifically, under then Section 36 (now Section37) of the Ontario Planning Act, municipalities can allow developers to increase the height and density of their developments in return for developers providing public services and facilities. In the case of Brookfield Place, the developer received the increases in height and density from the City of Toronto, in exchange for the provision of facilities, one of which was the requirement to lease approximately 50,000 square feet of space rent free, comprising the whole of the Bank of Montreal building and additional space in the shopping concourse.
“The City of Toronto has the legal right to elect up to three directors,” he said.
Current members are Councillor’s Ford, Mark Grimes and Stephen Holyday.
“The positions on the board date back to the CNE days prior to the relocation and expansion to BCE Place,” said Denomme. “All institutional members (including the City of Toronto) are entrenched in HHOF’s bylaws because they are all key stakeholders and contributors to its growth and development.”
But why does the city need them? The city has no equity in the HHOF and there is no profit coming back.
“Correct, no equity as HHOF is a not-for-profit corporation,” explained Denomme, adding however “property tax exemptions on approx 75,000 square feet,” does exist “but no direct annual contributions.”
The arrangement with the city has indeed grown. The HHOF in 2012 took on 18,000 square feet of rental space at Etobicoke’s Mastercard Centre for its resource centre and archives. Denomme said while the Hall does pay “favourable market rent,” it does qualify “for an exemption from property taxes which is essential to the Hall’s on-going economic viability.”
The questions may not be on why Ford is on the board as much as why any city councillor receives an appointment and how much revenue is being lost?
I love the HHOF which has been a tremendous resource with its excellent staff. But why, in a city where seniors have been evicted out of their TCHC apartments, are Toronto taxpayers subsidizing the rich hockey industry?
Could a city struggling to make budget ask the multi-billion-dollar NHL to chip in a little more to help out?
Some might think any bad press surrounding RoFo is good, but I think the same people couldn't be bothered to get mad about more serious things he did that they should be mad about because it affects people's lives. This just contributes to him being martyred ("their ganging up on poor, cancerous Robbie again!") and to a kind of "Rob Ford outrage fatigue" that leads to people just tuning out, not wanting to hear about it anymore -- even when the next outrage is something people actually should get riled up about.
