Katie Heikkinen a concerned citizen; a member of the committee, Friends of Marina Park forward this presentation to Lake Superior News
Thunder Bay City Council, with the push of City Administration, moves closer to building private residences, condominiums and a boutique hotel in Marina Park.
Most communities treasure green space, especially green space adjacent to water, space dedicated to its citizens for leisure use. In Thunder Bay, City Council is moving to sell land to commercial developers, thus restricting public access and restricting the view of Thunder Bay’s treasured, Sleeping Giant, voted one of Canada’s seven wonders in a recent CBC poll.
The mantra that has come from the Waterfront Development Committee and City Administration is that through “public consultation” we have been told that the majority ofresidents want private development (condominiums and a boutique hotel) in their waterfront park. May I say that from my participation in “public consultation” sessions conducted by the waterfront consultants and/or public officials, they were, in reality, public information sessions, not consultations. When the public wished to express concerns, ask questions or provide input, they were, often advised, “that’s for later discussion, this is not the time or forum.”
Interestingly, at a ward meeting hosted by Councilor Linda Rydholm the evening of Thursday January 24th, in a show of hands almost 100% of the attendees, over 100 in number, said they did not support condos and a hotel within the park’s perimeter. Similar results were experienced at ward meetings held by Councilors Tuchenhagen and Virdiramo held this past Thursday evening. Help me understand…..what really is the truth with respect to community support for private condos and a hotel, (now euphemistically referred to as “mixed use development” by proponents which further confuses the issue) at Marina Park?
City residents have been made to believe that the only way we will have a viable waterfront with spin-off economic development is by spending 166 million dollars, the local taxpayer portion of which is 22 million. Council has already given permission to spend these22 million dollars to build this “refreshed and new” waterfront.
City Council committed 22 million dollars contingent upon matching funding from both the federal and provincial governments (by the way, also our tax money) with additional investment from the private developer. In addition, the current approved budget by Council for a skateboard plaza within the park is currently $900,000! This represents a massive increase in Council’s original commitment to this project within the confines of Marina Park.
Who is asking for a new waterfront? I have not heard Thunder Bay citizens say that they do not like and support what currently exists in Marina Park as we enjoy it today. Judging by any Wednesday evening during the summer months, there are shoulder to shoulder walkers in the area. The activity level is buzzing.
I have not heard people say build a hotel in the park so tourists can enjoy this prime view from their paid room nor have I heard people say, build condos in the park that will be available to a limited number of people because their price will be unaffordable by most in the community. Park activities will sustain people in the park not transient hotel rooms.
Let’s take our precious capital dollars and invest them into community-use space and not private development.
Both residents and tourists can enjoy Marina Park. Tourists can stay in the many existing hotel rooms already located in the area with overpass access to the park.
With appropriate park planning, the linkage of walking trails and bike trails to McVicar Creek and to the Memorial Gardens at the Neebing Floodway opens up a greater area of the waterfront not limiting it to a confined area at the foot of Red River Road.
It is curious to me that about five years ago, City Council did not advance a condominium plan, on Water Street near the bus terminal, presented by private enterprise. Yet, several years later, Council not only supports but leads the movement to build similar condo units inside the park.
Further, in its report to Council in January 2008, city administration noted that “if development on the other side of Water Street was viable under the current conditions, private investors and developers would have already done it.” What is really happening here?
Are we willing to allow our prime waterfront park space to be sold for hotel and condominium development?
Are we willing to allow our existing waterfront park and marina area to be torn up this fall and re-constructed after the expenditure of millions of dollars to take it to its current stage for the sake of accommodating private development?
Why do we not use the foundation of what we have and enhance it? Are we willing to un-do all that exists there now - pathways, docking for boats, trees - for the sake of re-doing it? I am not!