Fortini’s ward partner, Coun. Gael Miles, raved about the deal Wednesday. She has pushed for it behind the scene for months, telling residents in emails obtained by The Guardian, that if it wasn’t done the developer could build a high density residential project, an unsubstantiated claim. Under the deal she eventually helped bring about, which will pay out the developer, it could still build high density units on the property it gets to keep.

“Riverstone golf club and clubhouse is an opportunity the city has been given,” Miles said. “If you haven’t been there already, it is an absolutely beautiful facility. It has a saltwater pool, a complete recreation and fitness area and it has a beautiful banquet hall.”

Miles has been criticized for her financial ties to the golf club owner, but has said her aggressive lobbying for the deal does not represent a conflict. The property owner, developer Giampaolo Group, as well as its subsidiary companies, including Riverstone, has contributed to Miles' political campaigns and given more than $600,000 to community groups she has founded.

Coun. Elaine Moore, who last year told The Guardian that the deal was terrible for the city and criticized Miles for pursuing a bailout of a developer she has close ties with, did a complete turnaround Wednesday, in keeping with the tight alliance she has formed with Miles over the last year after the two rarely saw eye to eye previously.

“I commend councillor Miles for standing up for her community,” Moore said Wednesday. “This is a win for the community. It’s a win for the people who live in that neighbourhood. It’s a win for the City of Brampton.”

Other councillors said taxpayers were about to pay too much for the property, and too many details have yet to be worked out.

“So we are going in this blinded,” Regional Coun. John Sprovieri said, after staff could not answer his question about the capacity of the future recreation centre, once the golf clubhouse is converted. “You’re saying to me you don’t know how many this facility can accommodate. We don’t know if this can accommodate 200, 500, or 1,000 (people).”

Sprovieri has argued that Riverstone is located in an area already well served by city facilities and last year sought a recommendation from staff on the potential redevelopment of other city lands for such a centre, but never got one.

Resident Myrna Adams, president of a local senior’s council, was invited to Wednesday’s meeting by Miles. She spoke of the “great need” for a community centre serving seniors on the east side, but said such an initiative should be considerate of taxpayers.

“Riverstone sounds like it would be a great place, but what I will say that whatever you (council) do, it cannot be a burden on the citizens of Brampton because that would be unfair.”

Coun. Gurpreet Dhillon did not vote for the deal. “I don’t want this to be another bailout for a struggling organization.”

He has been critical of the $1.5 million sponsorship deal council approved for the struggling Brampton Beast, a privately owned professional hockey team, and has also raised concerns about more than $60 million of external debt council approved for the 2018 budget to get needed projects done while many Brampton residents struggle with their finances as property taxes continue to rise above inflation.

Dhillon questioned why Moore and other councillors supporting the deal weren’t advocating for a new recreation centre in their own wards, where there is currently more demand for such programming. He also voiced skepticism about converting the existing building into a recreation centre.

“This facility was designed to be a country club for a limited number of people in an upscale neighbourhood.”

Mayor Linda Jeffrey, who did not vote for the deal, remained silent during the debate, other than giving procedural direction as chair. In the end Miles and Moore were joined by councillors Michael Palleschi, Grant Gibson, Jeff Bowman and Doug Whillans in support of the deal. Fortini, Sprovieri, Jeffrey and Dhillon voted against it. Coun. Martin Medeiros, who has criticized the deal, was absent.

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