It will be a few months before a decision is made on the location of a new arena for North Bay, but one aspect of the process that has not been formalized is the cost.
Councillor Daryl Vaillancourt says that what must first be determined is whether the City goes with a single or double pad configuration.
If it is two rinks, then Vaillancourt, also a member of the special arena committee, foresees a cost in the neighbourhood of $30 million.
As the special arena committee turns its focus to the City-owned properties at Thomson Park and the Steve Omischl Sports Complex, City staffers will be responsible for holding a fair and competitive process for proponents of an arena that would be built on land not held by the City. Interest has been received from the Near North District School Board, Nipissing University, and a private group proposing to develop land off Pinewood Park Drive.
This measure has been put in place, says Vaillancourt, to remove politics from the decision-making process when it comes to the new arena.
