Contractor ‘extremely sorry’ about stadium delays

An apologetic contractor is asking the city for a second chance now that multimillion-dollar litigation over Hamilton’s problem-plagued stadium is all but settled.

The infamous delays and ongoing deficiencies at the $145-million Tim Hortons Field spurred tens of millions of dollars in duelling court claims filed last spring between the city, Hamilton TigerCats, stadium contractor Ontario Sports Solutions, and provincial project overseer Infrastructure Ontario.

The city has remained tightlipped about the state of those court claims and parallel negotiations. But Monday, Kenaidan Contracting president David Kirkland told a committee of councillors he understood a settlement over delay and deficiency costs is ready to be signed.

Kenaidan was the Ontariobased minority partner in Ontario Sports Solutions, alongside majority French-owned partner Bouygues Building Canada.

Ontario Sports Solutions has not responded to any Spectator inquiries about the stadium for months.

Kirkland told councillors his firm shares responsibility for the stadium delays and “underestimated” the resources and timelines required to finish the project.

“We are extremely sorry,” he said, later adding: “If we’re ever to bid and succeed on future tenders with the City of Hamilton, we will demonstrate to the city … the issues such as occurred at the stadium will not occur again.”

Kirkland wouldn’t agree to an interview after the delegation.

Councillors later went behind closed doors to discuss the city’s “commercial relationship” with the company.

Afterward, Coun. Lloyd Ferguson said he appreciated the company’s willingness to “’fess up,” but wouldn’t comment on the results of the discussion.

Ferguson also said he couldn’t comment on the status of negotiations, but added he didn’t “disagree” with Kirkland’s characterization of a pending settlement.