Thunder Bay, Ont., city council gives green light to new turf sports building

Thunder Bay City Council has formally given the green light to a new, all-season, indoor turf sports building in the city.

At Monday's meeting, citycouncillors approved the project in principle, clearing the way for site preparation work to begin; under current plans, the building would cost about $30 million, and be built at Chapples Park.

"We've made, I think, the major decision," Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro said Tuesday morning. "Not all decisions have been made, but certainly I washappy that council has endorsed the program."

"We can begin moving forward with the project."

Inclusion of tennis uncertain

One of the decisions that hasn't been made is whether the building will include indoor tennis courts as part of its first phase.

A month ago, Coun.Andrew Fouldstabled an amendment to the plan, adding six indoor courts to the building.

However, last night, as council voted to ratify and thereby approve in principle the project, they did so after Mauro had tabled another amendment, one that removed those tennis courts from the plan. Thus, as it currently stands, tennis is not included in phase one of the turf sports facility.

However, a final decision has not been made. Rather, whether or not tennis will be included in the first phase is a decision that will now fall to a new committee.

That committee, which will be made up of Mauro and four other members of council those councillors are expected to be appointed at next week's meeting will make recommendations to council about other things, like the facility's operating and financing models, as well.

'Build community'

Reached Tuesday morning, Foulds said he was happy to see the project move forward, but was disappointed the tennis courts had been pulled.

"I am a supporter of the multi-use, indoor turf facility," Foulds said. "I think this community is faced with many, many divisions ... and I think the investment in this facility can, in fact, bring people together."

"I think it brings youth together, families together, there are opportunities for seniors," he said. "All kinds of sports users from baseball to football to soccer, Ultimate."

Foulds said hosting events like powwows is also an option for the building.

"I really think that, although there will always be those that are detractors of investments like this, it really can build community," he said.

As for the tennis side of things, Foulds said he's still hopeful.

Six courts ideal

"Tennis, and the idea of tennis, I don't believe is lost," he said. "It was referred to the special purposes committee, and, I think, to be fair, needed and wanted a little bit more information, and I think that's totally fair."

David McCallum, president of the Thunder Bay Tennis Club, said he remains "quietly optimistic" that tennis will make the phase one cut.

"We feel like we have a lot of support for our portion of the facility around the table," he said. "I know there's some opposition, or some skepticism, I guess, but we're hoping that we can prove to them that we're a viable, productive member."

• City council in Thunder Bay, Ont., backs new indoor turf sports facility

McCallum said the city's tennis players aren't too concerned with whether a tennis addition to the overall facility would be a rigid structure, or an air-supported dome.

"We can function roughly the same in regards to what we do," he said.

However, he said it is important that any tennis area include six courts.

"Without having six courts, we can't host provincial-level or, through the [International Tennis Federation], seniors' events," McCallum said, adding that there isn't much difference in terms of capital costs when building four or six courts.

Revenues, however, are a different story.

Financial support

"It doesn't cost any more to run six courts, but you do get, basically, a third more revenue from operating them," he said. "For us, it's a win-win. It's not a third more cost, but you're going to get a third more revenue, plus we could host the out-of-town events."

McCallum said the city's tennis players are willing to help out through fundraising to ensure tennis is included. The cost of actually adding tennis courts to the building is a bit uncertain; city numbers put the cost of adding six courts at about $8 million, but McCallum has said research by the tennis centre has found the price of builing an air-supported facility, containing six indoor tennis courts,would be between $5 million and $8 million.

"We have probably close to half-a-million dollars ... in verbal commitments and savings that we could be ready to put towards the project, and then we would love to start a fundraising campaign, as well," he said.

Michael Veneziale, president of Soccer Northwest Ontario, said that organization is also ready to contribute through fundraising.

"We want to help out in any way we can," Veneziale said, adding Soccer Northwest Ontario has formed a fundraising group.

Site prep work beginning

"As of right now, it's just been all preliminary work," he said. "Nothing's actually been begun, because we didn't actually have a project to be working towards."

Veneziale, a long-time advocate for an all-season, indoor turf sports facility, said he was happy withMonday's outcome, but noted that nothing is yet a guarantee when it comes to the new building.

"We'll be very excited when we actually see a shovel in the ground," he said. "What worries us is ... it seems throughout this entire process, when we take one step forward, we end up taking two steps back."

"I really hope this is the final push that really gets the process started."

On Monday, council also agreed to spend $4.2 million on site preparation work and the creation of tender documents.

Mauro said that work would begin immediately.