Following the approval of North Bay City Council and pending its signing, the City of North Bay is announcing it has reached a "mutually beneficial agreement to restate and amend its arena lease, license and loan agreement with the North Bay Battalion Hockey Club."
In a release, the City says as part of the new agreement, provisions within the original lease pertaining to a shortfall in season ticket revenue will be removed and the City will repay the Ontario Hockey League's Battalion an outstanding balance of $3.99 million owed to the team on a $5-million interest-free loan for improvements to Memorial Gardens. The new agreement will be posted to the City’s website once signed.
According to the City, as of June 30, 2020, the North Bay Battalion has collected and paid to the City nearly $2.9 million in revenue through the lease agreement, including more than $2 million in capital reserve fees.
Council passed the revised agreement following an in-camera session as part of Tuesday's regular meeting. Councillors George Maroosis and Scott Robertson voted against.
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"This new agreement simplifies and streamlines our partnership with the North Bay Battalion and enables us to continue our valued relationship with the team," says Mayor Al McDonald. "The North Bay Battalion benefits our community in a number of ways. Not only is the club a source of civic pride, it provides local employment, generates economic activity and supports many charitable and non-profit organizations."
The original lease, signed in 2012, provided the Battalion with the option of terminating the agreement and collecting repayment of any outstanding balance on the loan under certain circumstances, including season ticket revenues falling below $750,000 annually for three consecutive years and the City declining to make up the shortfall. This option, which was never exercised, has been removed as part of the revised agreement.
While the amended agreement removes the requirement to share in revenues related to season tickets, gate, suite licenses, advertising commission and in-ice logos, the City will continue to have exclusive rights to all advertising opportunities within the arena and ice during City-run special events and will share evenly with the Battalion in all revenues derived from arena naming rights, including centre ice logos.
The City will receive 100 per cent of all capital reserve fund fees added to ticket prices for all events and will continue using the revenue generated from the $2.50 fee to pay back monies used for the Memorial Gardens renovations, including payout of the loan from the Battalion.
The agreement involved renovations to Memorial Gardens, including expanded seating, new corporate boxes and an extended ice surface. It was also contingent on a minimum of 2,000 season tickets sold for three years. To help fund the arena renovations, a $2.50 per ticket capital reserve fee was introduced for events at Memorial Gardens.
"We look forward to continuing our relationship with the City under the updated agreement," states Battalion owner Scott Abbott. "It’s important for us as our players enjoy North Bay and we all appreciate the loyalty from our billets, fans and corporate supporters."
North Bay had been without an OHL team since the former Centennials relocated to Saginaw, Mich., to become the Spirit in 2002. The City of North Bay entered into a 15-year lease agreement in 2012 with the Battalion Hockey Club, which relocated from Brampton.
