Funding visit still a mystery
Mayor hopes convention centre makes MacKay’s agenda
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE City Hall Reporter
Sun, Aug 14 - 7:31 AM
In the absence of a courtesy call from one of its proposed funding partners — the Harper government — Halifax city hall has had to glean information on potential federal funding for the municipality’s new convention centre from recent media reports.
Mayor Peter Kelly said Saturday he’s in the dark regarding an expected announcement Monday about the planned development in downtown Halifax.
"I don’t know any of the details," he told The Chronicle Herald.
Kelly said he’s optimistic an infrastructure speech to be delivered by Defence Minister Peter MacKay to a business audience will include Ottawa’s contribution to the convention centre.
"But there’s no certainty," the mayor said.
CTV News reported Friday that MacKay will announce about $70 million in government funding for Nova Scotia projects and the lion’s share of that public money has been earmarked for the proposed $159-million centre on Argyle Street.
Last week, the Halifax Chamber of Commerce announced MacKay had asked to speak at a chamber breakfast Monday. Ottawa’s been considering spending $47 million on the proposed convention centre but it is unknown how much will be contributed.
MacKay, the MP for Central Nova and the province’s lone federal minister, is scheduled to speak at 7:50 a.m.
Halifax Regional Municipality and the provincial government have already committed $56 million each to the contentious project proposed by Rank Inc. It’s to be built on a fenced, vacant lot that used to house The Chronicle Herald.
Earlier this month, MacKay said in Halifax that "we’re ready to go" with a federal announcement about the proposed development. The developer has been unavailable for comment.
The cost of the planned centre has reportedly gone up and sources told CTV News that MacKay is expected to announce a small increase in funds for the project.
Kelly said he hasn’t heard of a new dollar figure but acknowledged in the past that Halifax regional council would have to debate any potential increase to the municipality.
The province is not bumping up its contribution, Premier Darrell Dexter told reporters recently.
Kelly said if MacKay’s announcement is "what it’s expected to be" then the mayor hopes construction would begin soon. Construction was to have started in the spring.
Opponents have said there isn’t a business case to support a new convention centre in the Halifax region. They also don’t like the height of the development, saying it’ll block the view from Citadel Hill.
An audio-visual denunciation, posted on the Coalition to Save the View’s website, says there’s been steadily increasing convention space on the market, so Halifax doesn’t need a facility larger than the World Trade and Convention Centre.
"Generally speaking, the convention centre business has been either stagnant or dropping since 1995," coalition member Beverly Miller said on the website.
Proponents have said the city has seen large conferences go elsewhere because the trade centre can’t accommodate large groups.
The convention centre would be part of Rank’s $500-million Nova Centre, a complex that would include retail space, a hotel and an office tower.
MacKay said publicly on July 20 that he expected an announcement regarding the proposed new centre within days. It appears that was 26 days, to be exact.
His press secretary said Friday "Minister MacKay will address the Halifax Chamber of Commerce to discuss economic and infrastructure initiatives for the province."
Kelly said he’ll be there Monday morning. "I was asked to go by the chamber," he said.
(
[email protected])
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1258186.html#comments
Prev
Linear Mode
