Editorial: North core is the best option

A new multiplex for the City of Thunder Bay belongs in the north downtown core.

While other shortlisted locations, like Innova Park and the Thunder Bay International Airport, have advantages of their own, both locations suffer from the same fatal problem – they’re not downtown.

An event centre, like the one being proposed, belongs in a downtown. It will be good for the businesses that surround it, and it will be good for the city’s downtown vitalization efforts overall.

The fact that the shortlisted north core site, the Water Street bus terminal, appears to be the cheapest can be considered a bonus.

The argument for a downtown location does have a minor flaw in parking, or its perceived lack of parking. This is a minor inconvenience.

Parking will be a challenge the city needs to address, but that challenge is just a symptom of a successful downtown. Ample parking is usually a sign of economic shortcomings.

In the end, the city is looking at moving forward with a multimillion dollar investment. The only way to move forward responsibly with such an expenditure is if the city ensures it is going to get the most return on its investment.

Innova Park and the Thunder Bay International Airport are both great locations for parking.

The north core provides the best return on investment.