Despite some financial concerns, Cassellholme board chair Chris Mayne says he is confident the $90 million renovation project will move forward.
"Cassellholme will be providing an update to the municipalities next week, Feb 4, as to our progress to date to improve the terms and conditions on the potential financing from Infrastructure Ontario," said Mayne, who is also a North Bay city councillor.
"Around the same time, the RFP respondent bidders will be giving their initial bids as part of the RFP (request for proposals) process for the redevelopment but the final selection will not be made or announced until the end of March."
However, how to pay for the major project has, and continues to be scrutinized by local city and town councils.
On Tuesday night, North Bay council voted to reject Cassellholme's financing proposal.
"The city will not take on debt from Cassellholme," said councillor Bill Vrebosch during Tuesday's zoom council meeting.
However, Mayne says this has been a very detailed project that has been in the works for close to a decade.
He feels they are still working in the right direction.
"If there is an acceptable proposal, and we expect there will be, once the referred tender has been selected, recommended to the board, it goes to the Cassellholme board first, it would then be shared with the member municipalities, and then if everybody is in agreement to move forward then it goes to the province for final approval and then it is shovels in the ground," said Mayne.
