North Bay City Council have given full support to include plans for a new arena in its 10-year capital plan at a capital budget meeting Thursday night.
The city says it expects the new facility will be open for 2020.
Mark King, the Chair of Community Services, believes this is good news for the community.
"Now that some money has been set aside in the capital budget for 2018, we are excited to proceed with determining what exactly will be built and where it will be built," stated King in a media release from the City of North Bay.
King says staff will be looking into the best way to proceed with the planning and design.
"The arena committee will have its recommendation for the proposed site, and whether we move ahead with a single or double pad, by the end of the year," he stated.
John Severino, Managing Director of Community Services with the City of North Bay, believes it is important to take the time now to plan the best possible facility to meet the need of the community for generations into the future.
"Over the next several month's staff will be concentrating on the planning process," said Severino in a release.
Severino noted there will not be any service interruption before the new rink opens in 2020.
King has said earlier this month that the committee has narrowed it down to two locations, the Steve Omischl Sports Complex, or Thomson Park (behind Memorial Gardens).
The capital budget will be voted on at the next city council meeting.
