Elliot Lake council gave city CAO Daniel Gagnon the green light to explore putting together a second art hub grant application to the federally sponsored Green and Inclusive Community Grant Fund.
The city was turned down for a $10 million grant in June that was sought as part of a $21 million planned art hub to be built on the former civic centre site off Highway 108.
Gagnon told council at its meeting Monday, the second round of grant funding (intake) will take place in late February and asked council to allow him to alert architectural firm Brook McIlroy of the city’s intention to apply for a round two grant. The firm did the feasibility study and preliminary design for the first grant application and will be asked to prepare “a tweaked version” for the next grant intake.
“There is a funding opportunity,” Gagnon said.
He asked for and was given a verbal go-ahead to move toward putting together a new application to meet the late February deadline. Gagnon said Brook McIlroy can prepare a more concrete plan for the application that would then come back to council for approval. It would include costs.
Councillor Charles Flintoff said he was concerned council has not made a final decision on whether the art hub will be built on the civic centre land or the property will be sold to one of three private bidders on it.
The councillor was assured by Mayor Chris Patrie that despite there being no final decision on the property it should not halt moving ahead with the grant application.
Patrie assured those attending the meeting or watching it virtually, that council would make any final decision on the property public.