The special arena committee headed by Councillor Mark King has eliminated the Thomson Park/Memorial Gardens option from consideration as the site of a new arena.
The recommendation of the committee to City Council as a whole will be a double-pad build at the Steve Omischl Sports Complex in the south end of the city.
Geotechnical studies had been undertaken to gather data and determine whether one site or the other would gain an advantage, but the studies showed none. Construction at the site of the current West Ferris Community Centre has been ruled out and the single-pad arena at that site will soon be decommissioned.
There are at least three privately-owned properties where the new arena could be built, and King has told MyNorthBayNow.com that there could be a fourth option coming forward. Requests for proposals are expected from landowners on Pinewood Park Drive, Nipissing University (across College Drive from the main campus), and the Near North District School Board (land adjacent to West Ferris Intermediate and Secondary School).
Thomson Park has been dismissed due to traffic and access challenges, as well as the interruption of recreational trails that run through the park.
