City optimistic over waterfront deal. (Sault Ste Marie).The long-awaited Gateway project may finally have shovels in the ground by late summer. With the project's white knight White Knight falls off his horse every time it stops. [Br. Lit.: Lewis Carroll Through the Looking-Glass] See : Awkwardness White Knight invents clever objects that never work. [Br. Lit. , Grimsby entrepreneur Rick Holmes, deep in negotiations with the banks to finalize about $37.5 million in private financing for the proposed $53-million regional tourist attraction Noun 1. tourist attraction - a characteristic that attracts tourists attractive feature, magnet, attractor, attracter, attraction - a characteristic that provides pleasure and attracts; "flowers are an attractor for bees" , the City of Sault Ste. Marie's head planner remains optimistic construction could begin by September for a summer 2004 opening. "It is a very complex project to put together," which includes a $15-million commitment from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is a division of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in the Canadian province of Ontario, whose purpose is to provide funding and program support to foster economic development in the economically disadvantaged Northern Ontario region. Corp. (NOHFC NOHFC Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (Government of Ontario, Canada) ), says Don McConnell, the city's director of planning. "This project kind of morphs as it goes along and has gone through several different versions in an effort to buy everyone in- the banks, the city, NOHFC and the developer - at the bottom line." The plan is to build a 50,000-square-foot arts, culture, heritage and entertainment attraction on the city's riverfront. The attraction has been renamed Legacy Quest. Details of the corporate structure and financing arrangements were not yet complete by late March, but McConnell expressed confidence the entire package would appear before city councillors for approval sometime in April before heading to Heritage Fund and the province's Management Board for final approval. The city will then transfer ownership of 14.3 acres of prime waterfront property, adjacent to the Sault's charity casino, to Holmes. Holmes, who is president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Kittling Ridge Winery win·er·y n. pl. win·er·ies An establishment at which wine is made. Noun 1. winery - distillery where wine is made wine maker and Suites, located in the Niagara region, was lured to the Sault by the city's project developer, MagiCorp. Entertainment Inc. The Toronto-based entertainment development company, since renamed Legacy Quest, came on board in November 2001 to prepare a concept and feasibility study The analysis of a problem to determine if it can be solved effectively. The operational (will it work?), economical (costs and benefits) and technical (can it be built?) aspects are part of the study. Results of the study determine whether the solution should be implemented. for the Gateway project and seek potential private-sector financing. Components of the 50,000-square-foot attraction include a large participatory learning studio, a major interactive theatre experience, an adventurers gallery dedicated to showcasing the heroes of the North, and 10,000 to 12,000 square-feet of exhibition space. "The Legacy Quest theme has been clearly defined," says McConnell, "and much work has been done on the preparation of a business plan now under review by the city." Other components include: a 150-room four-star hotel connected to the casino by walkway, a 10,000 square-foot restaurant and food market based on an Italian village theme, a 5,000-square-foot railway museum incorporating the Algoma Central Railway The Algoma Central Railway (AAR reporting marks AC, ACIS) was a railway in Northern Ontario that ran between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, with a branch line to Michipicoten. The area served by the railway is sparsely populated, with few roads. train station, a 500-seat performing arts facility and parking for 400 vehicles. |
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