“Omischl is the obvious site.”
This from Councillor Bill Vrebosch who led a charge to make a decision on a proposed arena for North Bay.
North Bay City Council voted 6-5 in favour of building a new twin-pad arena and community centre at the Steve Omischl Sports Complex.
The vote came after an amendment tabled by Bill Vrebosch and seconded by Deputy Mayor Tanya Vrebosch suggested skipping a proposed $250,000 study.
Those who voted against taking three to four months to study both the Thomson Park and Omischl options threw their support behind moving forward with the project in the south end of North Bay.
Several public presentations urged caution and diligence in making a “40-year decision,” as the arena choice was called by Councillor Dave Mendicino.
In the end, Council decided to move forward with one clear vision “and no further delays,” according to the elder Vrebosch’s amendment. He added, in reference to the Thomson Park option, “Why spend money on a study we already know is a waste of time,” due to, among other reasons, traffic, parking and geotechnical issues.
Once site preparation and environmental studies are completed, it is anticipated shovels will be in the ground in spring 2020, with completion expected in summer 2021.
