Toronto City Council Approves Raptors' $30M Practice Facility

The Raptors yesterday "received the go-ahead” from the Toronto City Council to build a $30M practice facility at the city-owned Exhibition Place site. The city "will own the building and MLSE will cover the operating cost and lease the facility for 20 years." The Raptors "will have exclusive rights to use two-thirds of the complex, with time set aside for 'community use,' and use by permit through the city’s parks department" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/26).

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his brother, Council member Doug Ford, "were the lone votes against the deal after council sent the mayor’s request for MLSE to consider allocating 10% of the facility’s community hours for Toronto Community Housing resident use to staff rather than approving it" yesterday (TORONTO SUN, 8/26).