The long-awaited consultant’s report on a multi-use recreation facility (MURF) to replace the aging West Ferris Arena will be released at a special committee meeting of North Bay City Council in two weeks.
Steve Langlois, Principal Planner at Monteith Brown Planning Consultants will deliver his updated data from the 2013 study to the council on Tuesday, April 16.
“They’re the ones that did the 2012 report, and they do a lot of MURF studies across Ontario. According to staff here, they’re the experts on community centres with ice facilities,” said Community Services chair Johanne Brousseau.
Council will receive the staff report along with the consultant’s recommendations on April 9, at which time it will be referred to committee without any discussion. The discussion will take place at the special committee meeting of council on April 16 at 5:15 in the council chambers.
“You will hear according to the study and the figures, and the user groups that reported to this man, if they recommend that North Bay should build one ice pad or two ice pads,” said Brousseau.
“They are not going to recommend a specific site, but they are going to give us features to look for, say next to a main road, or if it should be connected with something else.”
Based on her personal opinion, the West Ferris Arena location is not a consideration, unless a single use ice pad is recommended.
“In my mind, it is Omischl or at Memorial Gardens. Both have pluses and negatives and it is to look at how bad the negatives really are, or how much money is needed to fix the negatives,”
The cost will also take into consideration any bells and whistles identified as must-haves.
“I’m saying $30 million, and hopefully we’ll surprise you and come down,” said Brousseau.
Having all the information in front of it, council will be in a position to make its final decision on the matter at its April 23 meeting.