A proposed casino in North Bay could be hampered by limited locations within the city to house such a project, according to Mayor Al McDonald.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. has already revealed the providers for Eastern regions in the province and is now pushing forward to find a provider for casinos in the Northern parts of Ontario. The province is seeking a single provider and it is thought one of the locations for a casino will be in North Bay.
However, Mayor Al McDonald says there is a sizeable stumbling block as locations large enough to house a casino are limited in the small city, which has a population of 64,000. He claimed any of the limited sites within the city that are big enough are not owned by the city, which means privately owned land would have to be negotiated for.
However, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp is seeking city managed land and needs at least 10 acres to be free for development. Areas that currently meet that exact criteria are limited, with McDonald saying he can think of three suitable locations, such as Pinewood Park Drive, across from the North Bay Regional Health Centre and within the Gateway Industrial Park. He said it is unlikely that a casino provider would be willing to buy land and bulldoze any current developments.
North Bay fits criteria for a casino according to OLG, which says the city is eligible to house 300 slot machines and 120 live table gaming seats. However, until the provider is selected OLG is unprepared to discuss potential locations within the city.
It has seemed that North Bay was destined a casino since the local government voted in favor for the project in 2012, although OLG did not need specific authority and was just gauging public opinion. Approval by the city was dependent on community benefits, jobs, and confirmation of a private sector provider for the casino.
McDonald has been a supporter of the project and said it would mean an economic advantage for North Bay, with a casino expected to draw $2 million for the city. The project would also become a sizeable job provider, with 200 new workplaces created with a pay grade between $40,000 and $50,000 per year.
“Today’s announcement of the service provider for the East Gaming Bundle marks an important milestone in OLG’s modernization and the future of our organization,” said OLG spokesman Tony Bitonti. “We have evaluated the submissions to the RFP, done our due diligence and have now selected Ontario Gaming East LP as the service provider.”