It may be one of the shorter moves in the history of North Bay businesses but the symbolism for the downtown area could not be more profound.
The move has been in the works for some time and is now official as the former Royal Bank property at the corner of Main Street West and Ferguson Street will be the new home of Valin Partners LLP.
Valin Partners will make the move across Main Street from their current home. The firm will leave the rented space that once housed the Imperial Bank and will move into another former bank. Local engineering, architectural, and construction firms will plan and renovate the conversion in the lead-up to an anticipated summer occupancy.
One of the attractions at the new office location, says Valin managing partner Gordon Prisco, is that it has existing bank vaults just like their current home does. Prisco says this is essential for storing important documents such as wills and powers of attorney in a place safe from fire and the elements.
Another big draw, says Prisco, is space. He says the law firm, including himself and managing partner Thomas Davis, associate Stephania Sikora, plus an additional staff of ten will have more space to conduct its affairs. More importantly, says Prisco, a firm that has been open to growth for so long but without the room to do so, now can go ahead and add employees.
Now that the purchase of the building is complete, Prisco says what was foremost in importance to Valin Partners in making this move was that they wished to do business in downtown North Bay, as the firm has for more than 80 years.
Prisco says the new location checks all the boxes, among them accessibility improvements for their clientele. There is some irony in that the removal of the ATMs from the former Royal Bank limits options for seniors while the law firm that shares many of the same clients is moving to improve access.
Prisco says he speaks for the firm in saying that there is no place they would rather be than downtown. He adds they are committed to the revitalization of the area and very much look forward to being an anchor partner in downtown North Bay for many years to come.
