By Dominic Abassi

Downtown waterfront chosen as ‘best option’ for events centre location

Jan 24, 2017 | 9:46 AM

NANAIMO — If an events centre becomes a reality in Nanaimo, it will be built on downtown waterfront land.

Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay announced Monday night that council has chosen 1 Port Drive as the “best location” for the proposed events centre.

A consultant had narrowed down the two best site options for the potentially $86.6 million project to the south downtown waterfront land or the current location of the Howard Johnson Hotel.

“Key reasons leading to this decision are the cost of acquisition and construction are estimated to be much higher for the Howard Johnson site,” said McKay. “Council determined that 1 Port Drive offered the greatest certainty on which to base financial decisions surrounding the cost to design, construct and operate.”

McKay said land purchase, building demolition, site contamination and access were issues that led to the Howard Johnson site being eliminated.

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During phase two of the study into the events centre, a consultant ultimately recommended 1 Port Drive as the better site for several reasons, including the fact the city already owned the land, there was greater potential for surrounding development and the likelihood of a transportation hub being built nearby.

Challenges with the waterfront site identified in that same report include additional costs for the sanitary sewer line running through the site and “the overall masterplanning including road and Waterfront Trail designations and rezoning will be required. This could take quite some time…”

It was also announced Monday night that council will hold a special meeting on Jan. 25 to give three readings to the borrowing bylaw and approve the referendum question.

“This is because we want to get this out to the public as soon as possible, there’s been a desire to get it out and it was ready sooner than we thought it would be,” said acting city clerk Sheila Gurrie.

That meeting is set for 5 p.m. in the Shaw Auditorium at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. McKay said people will be able to speak as a delegation at the meeting without signing up ahead of time.

A series of open house events begin Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. at the Conference Centre. The city’s events centre information page can be found here.