Consultants sought to develop master plan for Marina Park. (Special Report: Thunder Bay).

Thunder Bay City council has abandoned plans to secure a developer for the Portside project. Instead, council voted earlier this fall to approve recommendations to prepare a master plan to expand Marina Park.

"In terms of looking for a developer for the Portside project, we are not," says Rene Larson, a city councillor for Thunder Bay. "We just did not see the type of development that was proposed as being realistic, and we really have not pursued that...We are moving on with a different project, and that is to expand Marina Park and to prepare a master plan for its expansion."

During the process of preparing a master plan for the expansion project, Larson says the public will be consulted for input as to what kind-of facilities should go into an expanded Marina Park.

The decision by council to go ahead with the planning for the expansion project was largely made as a result of the success the city experienced recently with attendance at the waterfront, Larson explains.

"We had quite a successful (festival) last year at the waterfront, which would indicate that in the future we are going to need some kind of amphitheatre facility that would accommodate crowds of 10,000 people," he says. "We think that will be a major component of the expanded Marina Park."

Elements of the master plan for the expansion of Marina Park include a conceptual planning exercise to determine information on priorities and costs and an operational review and technical study of the current marina docking facility so council can gather details on the money needed to ensure the facility is running efficiently. A review of whether the development of a new festival performance area is warranted is another element of the planning, as are other related infrastructure needs, like restroom, parking and concession facilities. Other elements for the master plan include access considerations, infrastructure upgrades, landscaping, walkway, road and parking improvements, as well as a review of the community services department's preliminary plans from the mid 1990s. Those plans. called for expanded seasonal retail development in the area of Pier 3 and the Canadian National Railway Station. The final elements of the master plan include a marine design study, consideration of an area for an RV park and other possible commercial development sites, and possible reuses of the Pool 6 office. A review of options for Thunder Bay to be a joint gateway and portal for the proposed National Marine Conservation Area and the Great Lakes Heritage coast projects will also be investigated.

According to city council, this master planning work could be completed by February of 2003, which would allow for the resulting projects to be implemented in the spring of 2003.

An initial estimate on capital improvement costs for the Marina Park waterfront redevelopment area will be presented for consideration at the city's 2003 capital budget. Phase 1 of the master plan is expected to begin at that time.

Phase 1 would include appropriate site remediation, access improvements, infrastructure upgrades, landscaping and construction of a new walkway.

"A consultant is being sought to carry out the master plan for the expanded Marina Park and once we have selected one, that process will proceed rather quickly," Larson indicates.

The community services department will develop and issue a request for proposals for the development of a conceptual master plan. The department will review the submissions and provide to council a recommendation before the end of this year.

The cost to complete the master plan has