SUTCLIFFE: The New King Of The Whopper?
“If there’s a market for a hotel at the airport, and I suspect there is, then there will be a hotel at the airport. If there isn’t a market for a hotel at the airport, then I don’t think the taxpayers of Ottawa should create a market for the hotel by subsidizing a privately owned hotel. We don’t do that for all kinds of other businesses.”
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe
Wow.
There are whoppers and then there is this whopper. This would do ex-OC Transpo general manager John Manconi proud (he was dubbed King of the Whopper by the readers of The Bulldog).
God bless ‘im. We miss you, John. Whopper Watch has never been the same since you left.
But back to today’s mega-whopper by Sutcliffe. This guy has whopper potential. He is the Tim Stutzle of whoppers. An endless well of untapped talent.
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Thank goodness the city doesn’t provide grants to private business such as last year’s controversy surrounding the Porsche dealership. Ah, when one thinks of businesses needing the charity of our municipality, Ottawans’ eyes immediately turn to opportunity-starved Porsche. But when Porsche needed help, our municipal government was there. The capitalist safety-net saved Porsche. Whew, that was close.
And you know, thank goodness our city shouldn’t be in the business of subsidizing private business, as Sutcliffe says. We can all sleep soundly knowing that.
Oh, but then hold on a second …
The Lansdowne project. That wasn’t subsidized at the tune of tens of millions of dollars by the city was it? Those south stands at the stadium just appeared as magic. David Copperfield must have been in town. And now there’s Lansdowne 2, the Sequel. No need to wait for the next instalment of the Rocky franchise because the sequel at Lansdowne will make the original pale by comparison. This might not be good business, however it’s wonderful entertainment. Taxpayers are certainly paying for it. Value for money this Lansdowne showbiz if not the project.
But wait. There’s more.
If there’s not a market for a hotel, the city shouldn’t be creating one, we are told via whopper. Well, Lansdowne 1 was a financial flop and Lansdowne 2 promises to be even bigger. Steven Spielberg couldn’t match this puppy for spectacle. How do you create a public-private partnership sinkhole on the most valuable undeveloped land in the city? They did it at Lansdowne once. Now they’re doing it twice.
And who’s championing Lansdowne 2? Why His Worship himself, Sutcliffe.
This just in. Lansdowne doesn’t work as a private enterprise and is subsidized mightily by mom-and-pop taxpayers. Charity for rich guys. When local rich guys come calling, our leadership at city hall is there for them. At least they’re getting value for money.
Nevertheless, kudos where kudos are due. Sutcliffe is right to dump this $13-million hand-out to this big private-sector hotel at the airport. It doesn’t need it (and if you are not sure, read Bulldog blogger and development consultant Dan Stankovic who has written a cogent analysis on the project).
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All this while seniors are having their meal program reduced because the Olde Forge isn’t getting enough funding. Maybe the city could ante up a little extra so that blind and mobility-challenged elderly people can have a hot meal. The province hasn’t been generous but maybe the city could can Lansdowne 2 and put that money where it is needed … not more good money after bad.
The city should not be subsidizing private business, even the businesses of big private Ottawa operations.
If Sutcliffe sticks to his words on Lansdowne, Ottawa taxpayers will benefit now and into the future by not building Lansdowne 2. Taxpayers are getting sick of subsidizing rich guys.
More money for a cash sinkhole? No way. Don’t let it happen … not at the airport and not just off Bank Street.
Ken Gray
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Ten’s of millions of dollars for Lansdoome I, Ken? More than 20 tens of millions of dollars in directed (as in awarded to a unsolicited, non competitive bid) subsidy to three very well healed developers, and their minority partner Hunt.
Not to worry though. Another double digit of tens of millions of dollars are soon to be committed in another directed contract to further “enhance” that parking deprived (hint: major contributing factor as to why the first rendition under performed) failure.
I am left to wonder what NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman makes of the ethical gymnastics being performed down on Laurier Avenue. Lawyers do like to point out precedents when making their cases.
Pity the poor Ottawa resident who wants to, and can afford to, purchase a Ferrari. The nearest dealerships are in Montreal and Toronto, which makes it very inconvenient for Ferrari wanna-be owners to justify the cost of maintenance when the nearest service centre is 100 miles away. Why doesn’t Ottawa city council invest taxpayer money in setting up a local dealership ? Private industry determines whether it is profitable to build a business in a specific location within a geography. Too much blah, blah, blah has been written about financial support for a hotel at the airport. Who would use it ? The obvious answer is business travelers, not tourists. Tourists want to stay in hotels downtown because they stay in town for prolonged periods of time and want to be close to the action. An airport hotel would be used primarily by business travelers who want to get settled into a hotel quickly when they land so they can plan for their upcoming meeting(s) and get out of town quickly on their date of departure. In addition, most business trips are paid for out of company expense accounts. So, any hotel manufacturer has to determine whether or not they feel they can make a profit by building a hotel near the airport. If the answer is “no” then they move on to another project that will be profitable. They don’t sit around and wait for local government to provide handouts (unless, of course, they can fleece the taxpayers of Ottawa). When is Mark Sutcliffe going to start taking his “seriousness pills” ?