Opinion: Build new arena...and then what?

It is somewhat incredulous that North Bay City Council continues to pursue building two hockey rinks at great expense to the taxpayer at the Omischl Sports
Complex.

Praising the facility as a true community centre needs to stop. This facility is nothing more than two hockey surfaces with a walking track.

Furthermore, it is not a “twin-pad” arena. There are no economies of scale associated with the construction cost of building this unique trident design. It will be more expensive to build. That’s a fact. But most importantly, the public needs to understand how the project will be paid for and how this project fails to meet the future needs of the sport and recreational community.

Transparency rather than misinformation is needed here.

Strike One: The arena project received approval in principle for a federal grant of $25.77 million. The stipulation is that the building must be certified to meet the Zero Carbon Building Design Standard. As a result, the Council approved an additional $584,000 to pursue the certification standards.

If North Bay is successful in meeting the standard then the net cost to the municipality, if the current estimated construction cost holds at $52 million is $26 million plus the incurred costs to date. Once the cost of a new traffic intersection is included the total capital expenses from the City's coffers is over $30 million.

This federal grant is not a “windfall” for the City of North Bay. It doesn’t matter if gas tax revenue has been held in reserve for this project. The cost to the City is
still $30 million. And in the interest of transparency, borrowing costs will add another $7-10 million.

Strike Two: Even more problematic is the unique design. The advantage of the Omischl site over the proposed alternative was the large acreage available.
Omischl, with the right building design, afforded the potential for future expansion. This was especially important in light of the aging Pete Palangio Arena. Over time, with additional facilities added, the Omischl Sport Complex could become a true community hub.

An updated Multi-Use Recreational Feasibility (MURF) study in 2019 provided guiding principles with respect to financing, site selection and design for a new
“expansion-ready” facility. It encouraged a “strategic approach for sport and recreational facilities that would appeal and support a broad range of activities
and to consider the future needs of the community.”

The new trident design completely ignores the recommendations contained within the MURF report. There is no possibility to attach an additional rink, a field
house or other recreational facilities in the future. And why? Apparently, the new design, which will cost millions more to build and has no expansion capabilities,
was to save approximately $500,000 in blasting costs.

Strike Three: Unfortunately, the forward-thinking approach contained in the MURF report never materialized. Consequently, the benefits of the Omischl site
are substantially diminished and the non-central location becomes problematic. Furthermore, if $30 million in capital cost is indeed spent on this project then I
anticipate that there will be little appetite for future investments in sports and recreation infrastructure.

Editor's note: Gardiner is one of 29 candidates running for city councillor in North Bay in the October 24 municipal election.