High hopes for Thunder Bay City Council's vote on proposed turf sports building

The president of a Thunder Bay soccer organization is hopeful as city council prepares to vote on whether or not to approve a proposed new indoor turf sports facility.

Council will vote tonight on whether to approve the $30-million building in principle. If approved, city administration would be clear to start $3.6 million in site preparation work.

"I'm really expecting it to go well, and to move it forward," said Soccer Northwest Ontario president Michael Veneziale.

• Tennis dominates discussion at Thunder Bay city council indoor turf meeting
• Thunder Bay sports organizations optimistic as proposed turf facility moves forward

There are some unanswered questions about the proposed facility for example, the design hasn't been finalized as yet but Veneziale said many of those can be answered after tonight's vote.

Construction would start, at the earliest, next spring.

"The two things they need to agree on [Monday] is the type of structure and location," Veneziale said. "So, hopefully, they can just narrow down on that."

"There's a lot of decisions that are going to be made going forward."

Council hasn't decided if they support an air-supported dome, or a solid structure. Also, the location remains up in the air: Chapples Park is city administration's preferred spot, but locations near Delaney Arena and the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium are possibilities, as well.

The city held a non-business meeting about the project on Thursday, which gave councillors a chance to ask questions of administration in preparation for Monday's vote.

"I do believe that the majority ... do support it," saidVeneziale, who was at the meeting as well.

• Thunder Bay city council prepares for turf sports building vote with special meeting

"We'd kind of always felt like it's just a matter of time," he said. "It looks like we might actually be there."

The facility, he said, is much-needed in Thunder Bay, as there's very little space for indoor sports during the winter months, especially since the Sports Dome collapsed during a 2016 winter storm. It has not been replaced.

Indoor turf sports are currently limited to the Lakehead University Hangar, but that facility is very busy, and field time there is limited, the president of Thunder Bay Ultimate, Justin McConnell, has said.

Some leagues have played at the Confederation College Bubble, but that facility is being closed down.

The city said a new turf sports facility would take 18 months to complete.

Other items on agenda

City council is scheduled to deal with several other matters on June 24.

Administration will provide an update on the city's implementation of the recommendations made in the Seven Youth Inquest.

The inquest jury made 31 recommendations for the city. The report shows 26 have been implemented, with the remaining five still being worked on.

Council will also hear about how the city will contribute to the 2020 Special Olympics. Thunder Bay will provide $91,000 of in-kind services to the event, including transit shuttles, rent at the Fort William Gardens and Delaney Arena, as well as covering green fees at Chapples Golf Course.

Finally, council is set to approve the hiring of a consultant for its programs and services review.

The $256,000 review will examine the services offered by the city, which are mandatory, and what changes could potentially be made to save money.