The West Ferris arena special committee had the opportunity to listen to four presentations Wednesday, three of which included propositions for three different locations on North Bay—in addition to the two previously narrowed city properties: the Steve Omischl Sports Complex, and Thomson Park (behind Memorial Gardens).
David Drenth, Director of Facilities at Nipissing University, David Thompson, chair of the Near North District School Board, and Renzo Silveri, representing Pinewood Park Inc. each came to the committee with their own proposals of where the new arena should go.
“I think from a committee standpoint, we’ve tried to be considerate and very open,” committee chair Coun. Mark King said after the meeting. “Unfortunately you can’t get into the nitty-gritty of negotiations because it could be perceived we’re negotiating on behalf of the city, it is a little bit tricky.”
King referred to some of the minor frustrations members of the committee as well as some presenters had when trying to discuss ways in which their proposed locations could work for the city. King reminded the committee their purpose was to cultivate information and return to city council with the information so that they may make a decision then. He said he imagined more time to discuss the details could arise if the presenters returned to council at a later date.
“The committee has the best interest of the community at heart,” he said. “There are some valid points and will be extremely difficult from council’s standpoint. That was an important part of this committee; we’re really fact-finding for council. It gives everybody an even playing field and gives us some solid options.”
The long-awaited presentation by Thompson on the possibility of the arena located at West Ferris Secondary School was about collaboration with school boards much like has been promoted across the province.
“The trustees felt that the West Ferris Secondary site is a great location,” he said. “It keeps it in Ferris and there are so many other opportunities there for creating a community hub. As chair King said, it was just presentations today and there were some very valid questions so we’ll see.”
Thompson said the decision is ultimately up to council, but he was open to any questions or concerns moving forward from council or anybody else in the community.
One concern brought up by Coun. Mike Anthony, was what happens with the arena shifting focus to West Ferris Secondary if a future mega-school is built. Would other schools have concerns over the arena being located at West Ferris Secondary and not at another school from another school board?
Thompson said he had heard no concerns from other boards but was open to having the conversation with anybody concerned. He said the proposal was based on the fact that the West Ferris location was prime for supplying the necessary space and keeping the arena in Ferris—not based on which school, in particular, would be adjacent.
Coun. Vaillancourt asked Thompson if the school board would be willing to pay for arena usage in advance (several years contract), to which Thompson said he’d be willing to sit down and work out the details to collaborate.
Also presenting was Drenth, who suggested the arena be placed up at Nipissing University, citing the growth in recent years in the North End and proximity to the highways.
“I think whatever the city deems is appropriate for the community,” he said they’d accommodate on campus. “Whether it is a single or a double pad, I did want to illustrate the property has room for future growth if that’s the direction the city wants to go.”
Drenth said that it would help with the positive image of the university, their recruiting, as well as with their varsity teams and encourage more skating activity recreationally with students.
“We see the community has grown extensively in the area and we think it’s a good location if we’re looking to host other events,” he said. “When talking about sports tourism we have a really attractive option in terms of all the facilities we’d have to offer on campus.”
And the third location was a revisit of the once-dismissed property on Pinewood Park. Silveri presented on behalf of Pinewood Park Drive Inc.. The premise of his presentation was to keep the costs of building a new arena as low to zero as possible for the city and taxpayers.
“How do we deliver an arena to the city and taxpayers at no cost,” he asked the committee. “What we end up doing is looking at the whole project and the tax base you can create with the land and offset the costs the city would have on the $25 million arena. The net revenue from the commercial development will pay for the cost of the arena.”
Silveri believed his presentation differed from the others in the sense that it would be the lowest cost for the city, while also providing an economic stimulant for the West Ferris area.
“We aren’t developing the concept, just looking at ones that have been done in other cities and bringing it to North Bay,” he said.
With the presentations complete, King said the next steps would be for the committee to reconvene within the next week to go over the geo-technical details on the two city-owned properties: the Steve Omischl Sports Complex, and Thomson Park (behind Memorial Gardens)—which aren’t out of the game at this point.
With five locations under the microscope, the arena committee will be hard-pressed to narrow down their recommendations to council, but King was confident in their abilities, however less so in the speed, the project would take when handed to council, considering budget season is here.
“This committee is in place until the end of the year,” he said. “But part of the issue is the amount of work council is doing with all these budgets—it’s created an awful lot of work. Will council come to a decision on this before the New Year? I’m not certain that will take place.”
