It’s back at Thunder Bay city council Monday night… the multi-use indoor turf facility.
At-large Councillor Mark Bentz hopes to rally support in a motion, calling for private sector investment, whether it’s from within the city or not.
“We want to do it right. We want to make sure there’s equity of access, and that’s where the city comes in and the partnership. We don’t know where this will lead us, it could lead us somewhere that’s affordable,” points out Bentz.
The councillor adds he’s heard from interested parties outside Thunder Bay, including a man from Toronto who called him. “Unsolicited. Basically just contacted me, and I said ‘Look, we’re looking at this expression of interest process, it’s coming to council Monday. If it passes, administration would be happy to work with you’.”
Bentz has also heard from local groups, including the group wanting to build a site off Golf Links Road.
“They are one of the potential partners who’ve approached us. We want a fair and open process, that’ll let anyone and everyone to come in with proposals for any type of structure in any type of location,” says the city councillor.
He anticipates if this passes, there should be a calming of the intense debate over whether Thunder Bay should build this or not.
As for attempting this route in the past, Bentz says the previous council tried this at the end of its term, and this council tried it early in the mandate.
The search for a new building began after a snowstorm caused the collapse of the Sportsdome on the CLE Grounds in November of 2016, leaving groups including the soccer community without a place to play.
The original price tag for a building from the city was estimated between $30 million to $40 million, but council heard back in March that number jumped to $46 million dollars, which includes $8.8 million in interest payments on a $16.6 million dollar debenture.
Breaking Down the Funds
- Approximately $8.8 million in interest payments on a $16.6 million dollar debenture
- Just over $15 million from a dedicated reserve fund
- $1.6 million in MAT tax revenues
- $3.3 million from the Renew Thunder Bay Reserve Fund
- $300,000 from FedNor
Project Scope (Pre-engineered Metal Building):
• Synthetic Turf Playing Surface (310’ x 190’), 40’ height clearance, dividable into ¼ pitch (with automated curtains)
• Dressing rooms and referee change area
• Indoor walking track
• Concession, public lobby/entrance, washrooms
• Tournament hosting, spectator capacity
• Storage space, administrative space
• Mechanical/electrical
• Generator
• Pedestrian/transit connectivity, parking, landscaping
• Clean, Green and Beautiful (Diamond); energy efficient; AODA compliance; other legislative
