WATCH: A Moncton business development group says recent comments surrounding the proposed downtown events centre put the project in jeopardy. Global’s Brion Robinson reports.
MONCTON – As a deadline looms, Victor Boudreau told reporters Monday the province needs more commitment from the federal government in order to move forward with Moncton’s downtown events centre.
The deadline for the city to acquire funding for the $100 million project is June 20.
Boudreau, the minister responsible for New Brunswick’s Regional Development Corporation, said funding the project is complicated.
The City of Moncton is looking for both levels of government to foot about half of the bill for the project.
Moncton’s MP Robert Goguen said Ottawa plans to support the project by funding infrastructure projects for the city, allowing the city to spend more of its own money on the centre.
But Boudreau says that’s not enough.
“Even if we did all of the projects submitted to us there’s still a shortfall,” he said. “So there’s still work that MP Goguen needs to do to show the province and the city how he’s going to make up for the federal government’s contribution towards this project.”
Boudreau also said there’s an $8.5 million shortfall the province was hoping to get from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
“Right now the issue isn’t with the province. It’s with the federal government,” Boudreau said.
Goguen said that amount was never discussed.
Lawrence Forbes, a member of Downtown Moncton Inc., is now worried about what the future holds for the downtown centre.
He’s part of a group that’s been working to get the centre built.
“By delaying it, we are going to get past the last deadline,” he said.
Initially, the city had hoped to begin construction of the centre in 2015.
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