By IAN ROSS
The first step in a massive five-year makeover of the former Port Arthur waterfront begins this summer.
Once the frost leaves and construction begins on a new skateboard/BMX park at Marina Park. It's the signal for an expansive five-phase project to start rolling out.
Thunder Bay is following the trend of harbour revitalizations in Baltimore, Chicago and nearby Duluth, Minnesota in transforming former working waterfronts into people-places.
Generations before, the Port Arthur waterfront consisted of steamship piers, freight sheds and grain elevators.
Through the years, the city has been demolishing and greening over these brownfield lands and reclaiming them for strollers, boaters and festival-goers.
The next grand step is Prince Arthur's Landing at Marina Park.
It's a $126 million 'quality of life' project involving an expanded marina and parkland, condos, hotel, market square and plaza built around the historic CN station.
The city has locked in their $22 million piece. Eventually the province and feds are expected to provide their share.
Two Winnipeg developers are in the running to take on the hotel/condo complex, worth about $60 million.
In March, the city entertained representatives from Sherwood Development, a design-build firm experienced in mixed use developments, and a consortia headed Man-Shield Construction to view the city's plans and tour the waterfront.
Katherine Dugmore, the city's waterfront manager, says both are very keen and have questions about their return on investment.
"It's a process of ongoing negotiation. These are extremely complex projects with lots of public interest and ongoing political involvement."
She hopes one can be selected as early as May.
Some temporary boaters' slip replacement work begins later this year, but the major elements of construction should start next spring.
The city is selecting a consultant to draw up more detailed plans for Prince Arthur's Landing, the $44 million public plaza component.
The aim of the project is to be a cool and bohemian drawing card to help attract knowledge-based industries to Thunder Bay and their young, skilled and highly-mobile workforce.
Dugmore says cities are thinking more about the quality of amenities they offer in attracting these employers. Instead of creating a museum or aquarium, Prince Arthur's Landing will be part of a larger regional gateway experience featuring year-round programming and festivals for residents and visitors alike.
She believes a successful mixed use approach is more dynamic and sustainable for Thunder Bay than a destination tourist attraction.
Credit rating agency Standards & Poor's thinks so too, delivering a thumbs up to the plan that follows a global trend of realizing the prime real estate potential of former harbourlands is best suited with mixed uses.
The city's consultants and planners were careful to sensitively arrange low-rise buildings soas not to screen the spectacular views of the waterfront and Sleeping Giant Peninsula.
Nevertheless, a citizens' group is grumbling over the waterfront condos and have appealed the city's zoning and Official Plan amendment to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).
However, the public park improvements can continue.
City councillor and waterfront committee chair Mark Bentz isn't too concerned the appeal will stall any private sector construction. "We have every expectation that the OMB will uphold the decision of council."
