City council has spoken and the downtown north core has been chosen as the site for a proposed event centre to be built.
Despite vocal opposition from some in the community, the consultants did their homework and their recommendation was the correct one.
Innova Park, though a more centralized location, has little going for it otherwise except ample on-site parking – which won’t be free.
Simply put, Innova Park is in the middle of nowhere.
If the city is going to build an event centre – and council is nowhere close to making that decision – it should be strategically placed to maxmize the economic impact. The downtown north core is a perfect fit.
There is no indication businesses will spring up just because an event centre is placed at Innova Park. And if they do, all that it will accomplish is pulling business from both the north and south cores and Intercity.
While on-site parking seems to be a nagging concern to many, the consultants say there are about 2,000 privately owned spots within walking distance of the proposed downtown site. That’s in addition to about 1,500 public spots within the same radius.
Dowtown arena sites have thrived in other locations, and there’s no reason to think it would be any different in Thunder?Bay.
