Canadian Football League (CFL) team the Hamilton Tiger-Cats has tentatively settled a lawsuit with the city of Hamilton and Ontario province over damages for construction delays and other problems at Hortons Field Stadium.
The TiCats had agreed to move into the venue upon its completion, but delays in construction meant the franchise was not able to start playing at the stadium until a number of months after its initial opening date in 2014.
Having eventually moved in, the team has had to contend with a host of issues at the stadium ever since, with repair work taking place on a regular basis.
The TiCats had been seeking damages for the disruption, but it was unclear as to who should pay.
Infrastructure Ontario oversaw the stadium construction and worked with the Ontario Sports Solutions consortium to build the venue, with the city taking ownership when the majority of building work was complete.
CBC News has now reported that an initial deal has been brokered between the TiCats and the city, Infrastructure Ontario, the 2015 Toronto Pan Am organising committee and Ontario Sports Solutions.
The settlement, the details of which were not disclosed, is said to be a tentative agreement, with all of the essential issues resolved, but it is not yet clear as to how the deal will be conveyed to the public.
The deal could boost a bid to bring a football team to the city. The stadium lease signed by the Ticats in 2014 included a one-year rights clause for a professional football club.
The Ticats has taken a number of tentative steps towards making this a reality, with franchise owner Bob Young last May stating Hamilton would be a founding city of the new Canadian Premier League.
In addition, it has emerged that someone has filed trademarks for the Hamilton Steelers and Hamilton United.
Image: Jfvoll
