Memorial Cup group withdraws fee request

The City of Windsor will charge $10 to park at the WFCU Centre during the Memorial Cup, council decided Monday night, but will provide a free shuttle for off-site parking.

Meanwhile, the Memorial Cup organizing committee withdrew its request that the city waive more than $78,000 in rental fees for the use of the WFCU Centre.

“When we initially came forward with the request weeks ago, we’ve since had the opportunity to review the financial projections for the event, we think we can fit it in our budget,” said Ken Pretli, chair of the finance committee for the organizing committee of the 2017 Memorial Cup.

“And we’re happy to pay the fees and generate some revenue for the city.” The WFCU Centre was against the fee exemption. So were city administrators who pointed out in a report that went to council Monday that taxpayers have already footed the bill for $990,000 in upgrades to the WFCU Centre.

The city also spent $35,000 on the bid for the Memorial Cup.

The Canadian junior hockey championship runs May 19 to 28.

The host organizing committee had been asking for fee exemptions for May 15 to 18 to set up for the tournament and on May 29, the teardown day. It was also asking for a waiver on the community pool, which will sit idle for the duration of the tournament.

City administrators said charging $10 for parking during the Memorial Cup would help offset the cost of accommodating so many cars during the tournament. While parking fees would generate an estimated $128,000 in revenue, the city would see no profit after costs.

Under a cost breakdown to be presented to council, most of the revenue will go to rent the use of London developer Shmuel Fahri’s parking lot adjacent to the WFCU Centre and to provide free shuttle service from another nearby parking lot whose use the city is trying to secure. The WFCU is plagued by insufficient parking, exacerbated by Fahri closing down his lot after a slip-and-fall lawsuit.

During the Game 4 game between the Windsor Spitfires and the London Knights on March 30 cars were illegally parked on the grass, in medians and on the sides of roads. The city issued 100 tickets.

We’re happy to pay the fees and generate some revenue for the city.