North Bay review recommends city sell downtown parking garage
An organizational review of the City of North Bay recommends the city consider selling its downtown parking garage on McIntyre Street.
Parking garage on McIntyre Street in North Bay. May 2, 2024 (Eric Taschner/CTV Northern Ontario)
The recommendation comes from the accounting firm KPMG, which audited the city’s services.
An independent, third-party review of the city and its services was requested by council in December 2022. KPMG was awarded the contract in summer 2023.
“There's always ways that we can improve and make things better, and this really gives us that chance to map out an implementation plan,” said Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield.
As part of its recommendation that the city clarify its community safety and well-being plan, the consultant suggests the city consider divesting the garage.
Its organizational review found the downtown parking garage, which is owned and operated by the city, has faced security challenges related to homelessness in the area.
“City staff have been trying to implement some different ways of addressing the challenges that we face at the parking garage over the past number of years,” Horsfield said.
KPMG acknowledged there have been improvements to security which are under review.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
“The city should perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine the long-term plan for this parking garage, as well,” KPMG senior manager Sana Malik said during Tuesday’s special committee meeting.
Horsfield said council plans to look into the option further.
“A number of individuals use it for businesses and those who live in the downtown,” she said.
“Having that strategy in that report will provide more context and that research that's going to be done into whether or not parking can be moved somewhere else. Is there a great need in that area?”
The report said that understanding the future state of the parking garage will be essential in building the city’s facilities and parking department’s strategy and business plan.
“The city has already, in the 2024 budget, allocated funds to go towards the downtown parking strategy,” Horsfield said.
“Within that downtown parking strategy, we're updating our plans of parking requirements within the downtown.”
The review finds the city has historically reviewed its parking master plan every five years but the most recent update was in 2011.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Group tied to Islamic State plotted fatal Ontario restaurant shooting: Crown
A gunman who is accused of killing a young Ontario man and shooting four of his family members at their small Mississauga restaurant in 2021 was allegedly part of a trio who had pledged allegiance to the listed terrorist group Islamic State, a Crown attorney said in an opening statement in the Brampton murder trial this week.
Board orders deportation for trucker in horrific Humboldt Broncos crash
The truck driver who caused the horrific bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team has been ordered to be deported.
'We recognize there's more to do': Trudeau responds to U.S. senators' defence spending letter
Stopping short of offering the assurance U.S. senators are seeking, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is aware there's more work to do in order to see Canada meet NATO's defence spending target.
Italian teenage computer wizard set to become the first saint of the millennial generation
Pope Francis paved the way for the canonization of the first saint of the millennial generation on Thursday, attributing a second miracle to a 15-year-old Italian computer whiz who died of leukemia in 2006.
Top Russian military officials are being arrested. Why is it happening?
It began last month with the arrest of a Russian deputy defense minister. Then the head of the ministry’s personnel directorate was hauled into court. This week, two more senior military officials were detained. All face charges of corruption, which they have denied.
'A really bad car crash': Why health experts are raising concerns over surging syphilis cases
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was once thought to be a thing of the past is now a public health priority for North American doctors.
Morgan Spurlock, Oscar-nominated director of 'Super Size Me,' dies at 53
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar-nominee who made food and American diets his life's work, famously eating only at McDonald's for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died. He was 53.
Milk sold in Canadian grocery stores tested for avian influenza; results released
As avian flu spreads south of the border, Canadian officials are now testing samples of milk sold in grocery stores across the country.
Leaving time on the table: Surveys show unused paid vacation, 'quiet vacationing'
'Quiet vacationing' is the latest new term to describe the rough edges of office culture, and survey data shows it's widespread among North American workers.