WINNIPEG – Mayor Brian Bowman wants a city development firm to immediately issue a public tender for development on an empty lot near the Winnipeg Convention Centre.
The old Carlton Inn was torn down last year to make way a luxury four star hotel on that site.
Centre Venture, an arms-length development agency, currently has six-months left to find a developer before tendering is open to the public but Mayor Bowman doesn’t want to wait.
“One of the things I want to see is a RFP (request for proposal) immediately, I don’t want to wait six months,” said Bowman, who plans to ask the executive policy to vote on that motion tomorrow.
Stuart Olsen was awarded the 180 million dollar contract to expand the convention centre with an agreement it would also build a hotel on the former Carlton Inn Site.
On Friday council learned the construction firm would be paying a $3.75 million dollar settlement because it was no longer able to meet those terms.
Now Centre Venture is facing accusations it was courting another developer at the same time Stuart Olsen was trying to secure a hotel on that land.
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Centre Venture denied requests for an interview but in a statement wrote:
“Through to April 2014, CentreVenture supported Stuart Olson’s efforts, but once the settlement agreement was being pursued between Stuart Olson and The RBC Convention Centre, it was incumbent upon CentreVenture to pursue an alternative development for the site. The City of Winnipeg was aware of our efforts in this regardand it was deemed to be the most responsible course of action.
In the fall of 2014, once the discussions between Stuart Olson and The RBC Convention Centre were far enough advanced that we believed it was certain that the $3.75 million settlement agreement would be signed, we continued to pursue an alternative development for the site. CentreVenture had obligations with respect to the site and to the community to ensure it was developed consistent with the vision of the SHED and the needs of The RBC Convention Centre.”
Sources tell Global News True North Sports and Entertainment is interested in developing both the Carlton Inn site and what is currently a surface parking lot at 225 Carlton.
A spokesperson for TNSE said there are no current plans for development.
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