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Council poised to park more money in downtown garage

In 2014, there was talk the City was looking to unload the decades-old municipal garage but no deal resulted
2020 10 27 McIntyre Parking Garage 2
The municipal parking garage on McIntyre Street West, in downtown North Bay. Photo: Stu Campaigne

Coun. Mac Bain stands by the assertion he made this past summer that the City of North Bay should have got out from under the costs associated with owning and operating the municipal parking garage on McIntyre Street West when it had the chance.

"I think council made the wrong decision by keeping it and not selling it a number of years ago," said Bain in July — and he confirms to BayToday he has not changed his stance on the matter.

In 2014, there was talk the City was looking to unload the decades-old municipal garage but no deal resulted. A 2010 assessment showed the garage would need extensive repairs and rehabilitation, and nearly $1 million worth of work took place from 2011-13. An assessment performed in 2018 led to the most recent round of repairs. 

Communications Officer Gord Young confirms the parking garage is not a revenue generator while City Engineer John Severino advised the garage operates on a cost-recovery basis. Severino says it is the capital costs, including maintenance, that have annually put the garage in the red over the past decade. 

See related story: Municipal parking garage to get $465 thousand worth of 'preventative maintenance'

North Bay City Council will be asked during tonight's virtual regular meeting to approve additional funding for repairs to the parking garage. An engineering report recommends a reallocation of nearly $58,000 to complete the project, which has been underway since late August. The funds are in addition to the almost $465,000 cost of the initial contract for concrete repair work, waterproofing and repair to the expansion joints by Brook Restoration Ltd. 

"A recent survey of the building found that moisture and salt are accelerating the corrosion of the structure," advised Coun. Chris Mayne, Chair of Council's Infrastructure and Operations Committee in July when the initial tender was approved. "It needs to be done to avoid more expensive repairs in the future."

Bain explained at the time he would not support the project "because it is something I don’t think we [the City] should be owning."

The project's engineer is now recommending full replacement of the expansion joints rather than localized replacement, leading to the request for additional funding required to finish the work.

"Full replacement of the expansion joints ensures water ingress into the structure is eliminated at these joints, it also ensures that the horizontal to vertical transition can be done correctly and that a warranty can be given on the work," according to the staff report.

The $58,000, if approved, would be transferred from two other projects — approximately $48,000 from the Parking Lot Maintenance and Improvement Program 2019; and, $9,500 from the Pete Palangio Parking Lot rehabilitation project.

With files from Linda Holmes/BayToday


Stu Campaigne

About the Author: Stu Campaigne

Stu Campaigne is a full-time news reporter for BayToday.ca, focusing on local politics and sharing our community's compelling human interest stories.
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