Status of community centre project to be discussed Monday

North Bay City Council members won't have to wait long for an update on the proposed community and recreation centre that includes two new ice pads and is destined for the Steve Omischl Sports Complex, located on the south end of Lakeshore Drive.

See related: Council motion seeks answers on community and recreation centre

Even before the unanimous support for the motion tabled by Coun. Jamie Lowery and seconded by Coun. Justine Mallah during Tuesday's regular meeting regarding the often contentious proposal, council members learned a special committee meeting had already been scheduled for Monday, Dec. 12.

"I look forward to seeing the status [of the project] and what all the elements look like," said Lowery.

The resolution directs CAO David Euler to bring forward a status report on the development and to place the procurement process on hold. Before tendering the project, the Class A estimate will be submitted and the business plan approved by council.

Mallah shared she "looks forward to learning more about the budget and how we will pay for the arena."

At Monday's special meeting, according to the resolution, the following information is to be communicated:

• An overview of site selection discussions from the selection committee.
• The business plan associated with the project.
• The status of the design work.
• The status of the agreement between the City of North Bay and the federal government.
• The status of the Class A cost estimate.
• The proposed procurement process to be employed for this project.

The controversial proposed development was a much-discussed issue during the recent election campaign.

See: Cost of new community centre to be determined

"I'm certainly interested in seeing the business plan," Coun. Mark King commented. "I'm very interested in seeing how the overall cost will actually impact the operating budget of the city going forward in the next year."

The most recent figure cited by City of North Bay senior staff and the price tag that accompanied the application for the federal GICB funding, showed a project cost of approximately $52 million, as of June 2021. This figure has been extrapolated from the traditional building cost to present the cost of a Net Zero build.

"There are a number of very interesting questions that we have to be able to talk to staff in an open manner," added King in support of the motion.

Last spring, politicians and senior staff moved quickly to capitalize on the announcement from MP Anthony Rota of federal funding up to $25.77 million and approved the next steps in realizing the construction of the 

See also: Score! Feds give millions in funding for new Community Centre

Council also directed municipal staff to complete the building design to achieve the requirements for a "Net Zero Carbon" multi-purpose community and recreation centre in order to meet the requirements to receive the recently announced funding from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program.

To accomplish that, Council also approved an additional $584,000 to the previously awarded contract to MJMA Ltd. to complete the necessary background studies, the Net Zero Carbon Building design, construction document preparation, and building certification for the CRC.

See: Shortlist of contractors selected for new Community and Recreation Centre

Staff was directed by council to go to tender upon completion of those design modifications. The redesigned plan will determine the updated cost of the project. 

Lowery said prior to Tuesday's meeting the intention of the motion was so the newly-elected council can "better understand where the municipality is in regards to the process," and, "more importantly to learn details of the business plan and how it benefits the entire community from a service delivery standpoint and community building."

Mallah, the chair of the community services committee responsible for the project said she supported the motion asking the CAO to bring forward a status report as "over the election period, a lot of misinformation was circulated regarding the community centre. It's essential for the current City Council to consider all the factors and make an informed decision."

Mallah added she had "numerous meetings with City staff over the past few weeks. Staff members have been forthcoming and eager to share information and answer questions regarding the plans, the history, and the design."