Admin asking city to provide $1 million for Whalen building project

Administration is recommending city council provide a third of the cost to renovate the James Whalen building.

The total cost to renovate the 100-year-old building is estimated to cost $3 million. The city, upon council’s approval, would provide $1 million from the TbayTel Dividend Reserve Fund with the rest being covered by the province and federal government.

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation conditionally approved the application for a non-repayable contribution back in December while officials with FedNor have yet to confirm.

The city’s manager of Realty Services Joel DePeuter said there’s a strategy for the building to bring a broader economic impact to the city.

“We have a focus on growing certain sectors in the economy such as information technology, medical research, mining and mining services,” he said. “We’re renovating to a more modern open floor plan. Floors three, four and five were being used by District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administrative Board. The layout of those floors are designed very specifically to the work that they’re doing.”

He suspected the project will start sometime in the fall.

The recommendation will be coming to council at Monday night’s meeting.