Thunder Bay considers future of Victoriaville mall

A discussion at Wednesday night's Thunder Bay budget deliberations about Victoriaville Centre's bottom line revealed the city is seeking input onthe mall's future.

CouncillorShelby Ch'ng asked why the city is spending money on the facility when "there's some discussion about tearing down Victoriaville mall."

Ch'ng then referenced a letter that was sent out to stakeholders.

The councillor was informed she couldn't ask that question in open session. Council then went in-camera citing solicitor-client privilege for about 20 minutes to discuss the issue.

When the meeting resumed, city manager Norm Gale said administration is reviewing city-owned facilities and Victoriaville Centre is part of that review. He confirmed that correspondence has gone out to tenants and abutting property owners "seeking their opinion on the future of Victoriaville Centre."

Gale stressed that no decision has been made on the mall's future, and that the review has no implications for the 2016 budget.

Council received a report in 2015 about the struggling mall, which loses between 300 and 400 thousand dollars per year, that discussed several options, including demolition.

Thatreport showed the cost to demolish the facility and reconstruct Victoria Avenue would "exceed several million dollars, which is not considered feasible."