Markham Arena Deal Under A Cloud?

The Texas Supreme Court denied Aug. 23 Roustan’s motion for rehearing of an appeal he lost earlier in the year regarding a statutory fraud finding from a failed arena revival deal with a Texas couple from 2006, according to the Toronto Star.

The couple previously won two lower-court rulings in the process, and is now expected to collect about $50,000 plus interest and court costs.

The ruling adds fuel to the fire in regard to questions about Roustan’s creditability and integrity as a businessman. Markham officials were informed in June that they’d been given incorrect information about Roustan’s track record during his negotiations to build the proposed 20,000-capacity GTA Centre.

The GTA exec and partners are looking to secure public-private funding to build the National Hockey League-sized facility without the promise of a NHL tenant.