Thunder Bay City Council to consider awarding tender for construction of multi-sport turf facility

Thunder Bay City Council will consider a motion to award a tender for construction of a proposed multi-use, all-season turf sports facility at its Monday meeting.

A report to council from city administration recommends awarding the tender to Tom Jones Corporation, which was the lowest bidder.

The report estimates the total cost of the facility at just over $37 million; the tender amount itself, however, is about $39 million, as it includes all taxes and contingency funding.

Of the total, $15 million would come via a 25-year debenture. Another $14.8 million would come from the city's indoor turf facility reserve fund, while $3.3 million would come from the Renew Thunder Bay reserve fund, the report states.

The report also notes that Soccer Northwest Ontario (SNO) will run a fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $1 million to help pay for the facility. The city also notes selling naming rights to the building is a possibility and suggests issuing a public expression of interest to find out what kind of financial return may be available.

The entire report, with cost breakdowns, is included in the agenda for Monday's council meeting.

"As long as the project stays on track, that's what I'm looking for," said Michael Veneziale, president of SNO. "We have gotten to this point with several different occasions, where I think sometimes nerves get the best of people and we look at temporary solutions or bubbles, or even the private sector."

"Administration has already looked into all three of those," he said. "And every single time we keep coming back to the exact same thing, this size, permanent structure is what is needed for our city."

Veneziale said SNO first approached council about this type of facility in 2014.

"We're almost seven years into this now," he said. "So we're looking at a nine to 10 year schedule if these things keep proceeding."

"I know hindsight is 20/20, but if we had done the project that time in 2014 when we'd come forward with it, this project would be $5-7 million cheaper. And the longer we wait — it's the one guarantee in life — everything is going to keep costing more. So the longer we wait, the more this is going to cost in the long run."

A report issued by the city last year estimated the cost of the facility at $33 million.

Veneziale has said the need for the facility remains strong due to a lack of space to play indoor turf sports in Thunder Bay during the winter months.

He said SNO had hoped to hold a rally in support of the facility on Monday night, but that won't be happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We wanted to have people there," he said. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"The last thing we need is to get, you know, a couple hundred people together with the amount of cases we have," Veneziale said. "We need to be smart about it. So we absolutely want to be there in droves, but we won't be."

Veneziale will be making a deputation during Monday's virtual council meeting.

If approved, the city has said the facility could be complete next year.