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If you judge by volume of letters readers send to Voice of the People, making the case for public funding for a sports stadium will be difficult.

Yet that’s what Halifax regional council decided to look at this week in response to a proposal for a 24,000-seat stadium that would serve as the home for a CFL team at Shannon Park.

The proponents, Maritime Football Ltd., have experience running pro sports teams, but they have some work to do before we’re convinced their proposal makes sense.

Cities all over North America are regretting deals they made to build stadiums for sports franchises. Promoters promise billions in economic spinoffs that rarely materialize. Local governments end up holding the bag.

Winnipeg’s experience is a painful reminder of what can happen. After years of wrangling and cost overruns, Investors Group Field, new home of the CFL’s Blue Bombers, opened in 2013.

The project cost about $210 million. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the province of Manitoba will be forced to cover $100 million still owed on a loan to build the stadium.

Despite all this, cities keep building stadiums for their sports teams. Either they believe the economic spinoffs will offset the expense or they sense enough support among taxpayers to justify it. Neither is clear yet in Halifax.

But imagine what could accompany this stadium on the Shannon Park site. The Millbrook First Nation owns some adjoining land and it plans a development, perhaps a casino or housing. The site could host a ferry terminal that could help move people on and off the site. Maybe there’s room for a public arena complex or an outdoor skating rink. The stadium could host the city’s new pro soccer franchise. These could combine with a CFL stadium to provide a real asset to the city.

While they wait for council’s verdict, Maritime Football intends to begin selling season tickets. Public response is key: if they can’t generate enough interest in the team to sell tickets, there’s not much point in taking things further.

If there is a business case for the city’s involvement, municipal staff have about six months to consider it before they report back to council.

This gives councillors time to sniff the political winds on this hot topic before they have to cast a meaningful vote.

But it’s also the smart thing to do. Any public project like the development being proposed for the stadium will involve public money one way or the other.

No matter what funding model is used, councillors need as much information as possible at their fingertips before they decide whether this can go ahead.

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