Creating a waterfront community gathering place.

Thunder Bay taxpayers and developers will get their first glimpse this winter at the completed multi-million dollar vision for a tourism and family attraction to expand a waterfront park.

The city's Waterfront Development Commission's consultant has returned their final report outlining the 'highest and best land use' study and development strategy for Marina Park and an adjoining former grain elevator property.

The plan is to create a community gathering place with a mixed use concept to draw people to the waterfront for festivals, events, dinner and shopping.

The city has committed to spend $7.3 million over the next few years to improve roadway access to Marina Park and basically double its size onto the historic Saskatchewan Pool 6 grain elevator property, which was imploded in 2002.

Tentative plans call for a "Town Square' concept of waterfront condos, restaurant and retail space, a hotel with conference facilities, artisan gallery space and docking for Great Lakes cruise ships.

The more fully-formed plan in the consultant's report will be on public display during consultation sessions in December and January, says Mark Bentz, a Thunder Bay city councillor and chairman of the waterfront committee.

Some of those plans will be rolled out next year with $1.5 million in park improvements for docks, a skateboard park and remediation of the once-time CN Rail land.

Bentz says the idea is to create a "critical mass of activity" to draw people and festival-goers into a year-round attraction. The historic CN Rail station on the property already houses a cafe, restaurant and other small retail shops.

"People want to see something ambitious happening there," says Bent, after in sampling public opinion during the fall municipal election campaign.

The waterfront project price tag could go as high as $100 million spread out over several years. "But if we get the proper government and private buy-in, it shouldn't cost that much to local taxpayers," says Bentz.

He said potential developers are adopting a wait-and-see attitude for the public's and city council's blessing.

"I suspect it should be an easy sell to get a developer onto the waterfront. It's prime property."

An earlier attempt five years ago to develop the former wheat pool elevator land--the ill-fated Portside development--with a Sheraton hotel, convention centre, restaurants and water park, dissolved into political infighting at city hall.

Bentz says he was assured by a committee colleague that the $15 million once offered by Northern Ontario Heritage Fund for regional tourist attractions in the late 1990's might still be available.

"I'm confident the money is still there for the right project."

www.thunderbay.ca

By IAN ROSS

Northern Ontario Business