Thunder Bay Waterfront Project Contract Signed: The Sleeping Giant
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Thunder Bay Waterfront Project

Thunder Bay Waterfront Project Contract Signed: The Sleeping Giant Awakes

by Scott A. Sumner

Thunder Bay Business
    A signing ceremony was held recently at the Thunder Bay Waterfront offices on Water Street in Thunder Bay.This is the most important event today in the 125 million project development. It signals the investment by a private sector firm of some $65 million to make the project a
reality.
   “  It has been a long journey, a process, a lengthy negotiation but it is a large project and normal for this size. It has taken us 2 years.  We will  now start with our architects and get everyone to work on the project and then collaborate with the citie’s architects out of Toronto. Our architects will  try and follow the master plan,” said Gisselle MacDonald, President of Resolve Group and the project manager and developer of the project along with Joe Bova. “ We will be looking at RFP’ing for the hotel and waterpark and hopefully at the same time will be the condominium building 1  closest to the hotel.”

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    “ The view here is breathtaking. When I come in on the plane from Winnipeg I get goose bumps. We would like to be in the market place with the condo’s around Christmas time and beginning of the New Year. Our goal is to sell out before they are built. We usually do an
aggressive marketing campaign,” said MacDonald. “ You also will have the hotel that will create jobs. The condos will be sold to people of Thunder Bay or those  originally from here. We have done 5 or 6 of these types of projects before so are well seasoned in the field. It
will be a good quality project. Any one who can afford a house in that same category will be able to afford a condo here. It will be a way of life with the synergy of being near the waterfront. It is a life style everyone wants to be part of. I think this has been a long time coming in Thunder Bay and will be a catalyst.The units will be from 1000 to 1500 square feet in size. I do not build cookie cutters so we will try to make every unit different.”
   “ In every deal we always look for a win win situation and one of the big winners today is the people of Thunder Bay. They will have their lakeshore finally and definitely developed. It is one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen and will be improved by this project. It has been a long process but here we are and now the real work begins,” said Joe Bova, President of Laureate and partner in Manshield. “ We are planning on a concrete masonry structure. It is the best in terms of fire proofing and sound proofing. There will be a lot of glass, balconies and a view of the lake. I have built a lot of things in the last 40 years but this will be one of the better projects ever. I want you to imagine being at the cottage and living in the city.”
    “There are two parts to the next process. The city has the lake infill and site servicing work to do as well as the city sponsored amenities including pavilions and new boating facilities. Laureate will be developing two condominiums, the hotel and water park. We anticipate
starting the hotel and one condo in the spring of 2010 and look at some time in 2011 for completion.” said  Peter Belluz, Director with Laureate and President of Manshield NWO Construction.



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