Councillor Sam Austin agrees Shannon Park presents too many problems

A report on a proposed stadium for Halifax is recommending councillors approve a $20 million investment into the project, but only if it's in a different location.

Schooner Sports and Entertainment wants to build a 24,000 seat stadium in Shannon Park with its main tenant being a CFL team.

However, municipal staff suggests the stadium needs to be at a site with optimal access to major transportation routes and necessary infrastructure.

"The site is severely encumbered by a CN rail line and the MacKay Bridge, and would require an extensive public transportation infrastructure investment," the report says.

The report adds HRM would likely need to build a new ferry terminal in Shannon Park if a community stadium were built there.

They estimate that would cost $15-to-20 million for the terminal and another $15-to-20 million for the required three new ferries to service the area.

Councillor Sam Austin agrees Shannon Park presents too many problems.

"I think staff are wise to say this is not a good spot, we should be looking for a spot where offsite infrastructure is not so burdensome," he said.

Earlier this fall, the councillor for Dartmouth Centre put forward a motion that would have ended the staff review into the stadium. It needed the support of at least two-thirds of council and was defeated by a vote of 9 to 8.

Austin still remains cautious about following the recommendation to pump $20 million into the $110 million project.

The staff report will be brought to council on Tuesday.