After a lengthy process, Canadore College and the City of North Bay have decided to work independently in relations to the construction of a new community multi-use recreational facility (MURF).
“In the end, finding a mutually-appropriate timeline for both partners wasn’t possible,” said George Burton, president and CEO of Canadore College stated in a release Monday morning.
“While we had some of the same objectives for the facility, plans for delivering on these goals at the institutions were too far apart.”
A request for proposal for the proposed facility, which would have included a twin ice pad, was initially issued in March 2015.
While eight proponents answered the call, only two fit the original parameters set out in the document. A geotechnical survey was done on the proposed site which is located behind the Canadore College Commerce Court Campus, which is located right behind the aging Pete Palangio arena.
“When all of the available information was set before us, it was evident that a model to serve all needs was just not achievable,” said Burton.
“Realizing that delays can create disadvantages, Canadore is moving ahead on meeting our own needs to support an aggressive plan for growth.”
Burton says that Canadore College intends to move forward with a multi-use sports facility that will meet the immediate and future needs of its students, program mix and community. Aging infrastructure, space usage, heavy usage of existing facilities and technology advances have rendered the College’s athletic and recreational properties uncompetitive, leaving it difficult to attract and retain students.
The College will begin the process of designing an indoor field sports dome to accommodate multiple academic programming needs, as well as varsity, club and recreational athletic activities, including soccer, baseball, football, ultimate frisbee and more.
“As we move forward, Canadore will keep our eye on the task of improving our current facilities while ensuring that the new one is practical, accessible, functional and sustainable,” said Burton.
Canadore College will review the data provided through the last round of feedback, host another round of stakeholder consultations, and begin the tendering process in October.
The College is hopeful to have the new sports facility operational for the Fall 2017 semester.
