Essex County Warden Gary McNamara at the Essex County Building, April 2, 2019. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.Essex County Warden Gary McNamara at the Essex County Building, April 2, 2019. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.
Windsor

No provincial funding for Tecumseh's multi-use sportsplex/community hub

A request for funding to help pay for a $54 million multi-use sportsplex/community hub in Tecumseh has been turned down.

The province notified the town it's application was not nominated for federal review and approval under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

It is a big blow for town council, which has been championing the project since 2016.

"The news is certainly disappointing," said Mayor Gary McNamara. "We believe we have a strong project proposal."

The intake for funding through the program was very competitive. The total dollar amount of projects submitted was up to $10 billion, but the amount available from the federal and provincial governments is $1 billion.

Town council will discuss the next steps at its meeting on September 8. The administration will come up with funding alternatives, including possibly doing the project in phases. Tecumseh will also investigate other grant opportunities.

Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare will continue to partner with the town on the project. It planned to locate a satellite cardo rehab facility there.

"The goal of the project was to meet the needs of our community and region by improving the quality of community recreational facilities and offering amenities like the indoor FIFA-sized soccer field," said McNamara, pointing out such a facility does not exist this side of London. "This decision will not stop us, though. We will continue to look at other opportunities to deliver this facility."

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