Artificial Turf (CC)
A proposal is coming to council to delay any long-term decisions on the proposed Multi-Use Indoor Sports Facility until the next term of council.
In a report that will be considered Monday night (beginning on page 222), General Manager of Community Services Kelly Robertson states that eight submissions were received through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process that began in June 2021.
Five of the submissions, including three long-term ones, were evaluated to achieve the minimum 70% score based on technical criteria: experience and capacity, consideration of the community’s needs, proposed site, proposed building solution and sustainability, and social stewardship.
Robertson stresses that in order to advance a long-term solution, Council would need to approve the procurement and budget an additional $28.5 to $31.5 million to support a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the proposed Chapples Park Facility as currently designed.
On July 22, 2019, Council approved, in principle, a multi-use indoor facility at Chapples Park, which included pre-construction site engineering and applications for funding
The Indoor Turf Facility Reserve Fund currently has a balance of approximately $16.5 million.
Breaking Down the Funds
- Approximately $8.8 million in interest payments on a $16.6 million dollar debenture
- Just over $15 million from a dedicated reserve fund
- $1.6 million in MAT tax revenues
- $3.3 million from the Renew Thunder Bay Reserve Fund
- $300,000 from FedNor
The city was given the thumbs down from Ottawa for its application to Infrastructure Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program.
Council was hoping that the facility would be operational in fall 2023 or earlier.
The short-term solution involves keeping the turf at the Tournament Centre for the upcoming season, which was first installed in the fall of 2020.
The search for a new facility was spurred on following the collapse of the Sportsdome on the CLE Grounds in a November 2016 snowstorm.
