Council has voted to move forward with next steps to build a new conference centre downtown.
The city will be providing the land for $1 (valued at more than $11 million), for the creation of a “vibrant mixed-use development”. The development will be on The Tragically Hip Way, across the street from Slush Puppie Place, and will include a conference centre, hotel, and residential space.
The motion included $50,000 for each competitor who submits a proposal. With Tourism Kingston on board to pay half of the cost, the motion was amended to split that amount evenly between city reserves and municipal accommodation tax revenue, which is normally used to fund tourism-related projects.
City council voted 10-3 in favor of moving forward with the project and issuing a request for proposals from all six developers who submitted expressions of interest last year.
