THUNDER BAY -- Thunder Bay's city administration is working to extricate Soccer Northwest from the dilemma caused by the disrupted effort to use a waterfront industrial site for indoor play this winter.
The plan to convert a former sawmill building on Maureen Street is held up by an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board by the operator of a soccer facility on the grounds of Confederation College.
Kelly Robertson, general manager of the city's Community Services department, says the city is working closely with the soccer community.
"We've looked at our own facilities, we're looking at other facility providers within Thunder Bay to see if there is any excess capacity to accommodate some of the demand for indoor soccer," including the local post-secondary institutions, Robertson said in an interview with tbnewswatch.com.
City staff, in consultation with the Thunder Bay Economic Development Commission, are also scouring the city for suitable pre-engineered, warehouse-type facilities which may be vacant, she said.
The city has already received some leads, and has looked at some sites which, upon inspection, were not viable.
Robertson said she would welcome any ideas from members of the public.
"If anybody has any suggestions that they'd like to share with me, for a vacant warehouse type of space, I'd take that information and we would check it out."
In addition to trying to help the soccer community with its immediate needs, she said the city continues to plan for a solution for the longer-term requirements for indoor facilities for both soccer and tennis.
"The need for this has been identified in the Recreation Master Plan," Robertson noted, adding that the Chapples Park Master Plan has proposed a site for a facility there.
She said the soccer community is working in partnership with the city to complete a business and concept plan for the project.
"That doesn't happen overnight but that work is underway," Robertson said, pointing out that the city is also just starting to do the same now with the tennis community.
