HALIFAX—Premier Stephen McNeil says the province won’t make a call on whether to support a CFL stadium until the team’s ownership group finds a place to build it.

Schooner Sports and Entertainment (SSE) scored a win with Halifax regional council Tuesday afternoon when councillors approved a $20 million contribution to a stadium, contingent on it not being built on the proposed site — Shannon Park.

Part of the stadium proposal included a provincial contribution through a doubling of the existing two per cent hotel levy, and the creation of a rental car tax. Revenue from those sources — which could amount to $3 to $4 million per year, according to SSE’s estimates — would go straight to its lender. SSE also wants the province to waive sales tax on construction of the stadium, a potential $10-million savings.

“There is a proposal for us to have a look at whether or not we want to be involved in this project, and that has not been decided at all,” McNeil told reporters Wednesday.

He said SSE has “a lot of work to do” in finding a site, but should it secure one, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal would review the possibilities for provincial buy-in.

SSE founding partner Anthony LeBlanc said Tuesday he’s already looking at alternatives to Shannon Park, including Dartmouth Crossing, Bayers Lake, the airport, Exhibition Park, Bedford Commons and Woodside.

McNeil said Nova Scotia should feel grateful for the interest in bringing a national league franchise to the provincial capital, but the question of the government’s financial support was not a priority.

“You may know there's a number of other things going on in our province right now that I'm dealing with and we're dealing with, and this has not been on the front burner,” said McNeil.

When SSE made its original pitch to Halifax council in August, it gave five options for cost-sharing, ranging from a one-time payment of up to $22 million to $30 million over 30 years. It later narrowed it to one ask of annual payments of $2 million, paid back through ticket sales.

The provincial asks in SSE’s proposal have remained the same since August, but McNeil said the province’s potential contribution wouldn’t necessarily be limited to what’s been on the table up to now.

“We'll look at what other proposals come forward. As we dig into it, I'm sure people will have other suggestions and ideas and we'll listen to them.”

One of those ideas could be cutting SSE a deal on provincial land on which to build the stadium.

“That's potentially one of the possibilities,” McNeil said.

“That has not been brought to me, let me be clear about that, but I certainly would entertain the idea of any way of maximizing Crown land for economic value.”

McNeil said SSE will have to ensure the long-term viability of the stadium, which he said would require flexibility to host more than just CFL games.

SSE’s proposed 24,000-seat stadium would far outsize the 10,000-seat Scotiabank Centre, which is currently Halifax’s largest venue.

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In their recent analysis of SSE’s proposal, Halifax municipal staff said the stadium could bring an “incremental increase” to the number of events Halifax could host — about one or two concerts per year and one Grey Cup per decade.

Some existing sporting events or concerts could grow into the larger venue, staff noted.

In the same analysis, municipal staff said that SSE’s ticket sales assumptions for the stadium were “aggressive.” Assuming 96 per cent capacity at every game would put Halifax’s nascent team in the top tier of CFL attendance across the country.

“Relative to the size of its population, this provides the Halifax team with the second highest attendance per capita amongst CFL teams, second only to Regina and ahead of the popular Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg markets,” staff said.

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The stadium would have to sell about 70 per cent of seats to CFL games to break even, according to municipal staff.

CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie, who has conditionally approved a Halifax franchise, said council’s approval was an “important milestone for everyone who shares the dream of a truly coast-to-coast CFL.”

When reporters asked McNeil if he wanted to see a CFL team in Halifax, he said the league “is an important part of our heritage,” and he thought all Nova Scotians would like to see a Grey Cup played in the province.

“The question becomes what's the economics of it. I'd love to see a stadium that can house not only the football games (but) outdoor concerts, the activities that I think major cities should aspire to. And if it's going to happen on the east coast of Canada, it should happen here.”

The municipal contribution to the stadium hinges on SSE negotiating with the province and finding a suitable location; councillors will vote on the matter again in three to six months.

With files from Zane Woodford

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