IS BIG BOX GOOD FOR BUSINESS?

What constitutes a “good–for–business” policy for the city?
Councillors who voted for and against the big box development
at Fifty Road and the QEW both justified their positions as pro–
business.
Maria Pearson, Lloyd Ferguson and Dave Mitchell were among
those who supported the Wal–Mart centred development and its
promise of jobs and taxes.
“There’s actually nothing wrong with the application,” stated
Pearson. “We need jobs. We need building. We need business.”
She argued that Hamilton is “losing business to other
communities”, and that hopes of attracting higher paying
industrial jobs to such lands are unfounded.
“If we think that we’re going to get huge paying jobs coming
into this community, and industry like we saw in the ‘40s and ‘50s
and ‘60s with the Stelcos and Dofascos of 20,000 and up people, I
don’t think we’re going to see that again in our lifetime.”
Ferguson agreed, noting that there are “no applications
coming in” for industrial development and that the developer
“wouldn’t make that kind of investment unless they think there’s
a market there.” He also was enthusiastic about the revenues that
staff expect will flow to the city from construction of the
commercial complex.