Tony Porco has big plans for old fish hatchery site

Tony Porco, whose SIS Group developed much of Sault Ste. Marie's Canal District, is now looking to build another big commercial project across the street.

City council will be asked Tuesday to approve sale of a 2.49-hectare chunk of the Gateway site to Porco holding company 1188004 Ontario Inc. for $200,000.

That's where the old fish hatchery served as home to the Mill Market until the market recently moved to Brock Street, adjacent to the soon-to-open downtown plaza.

Here's what Porco and SIS Group are proposing to build on the former fish hatchery site:

• automotive museum
• deli and restaurant
• event space
• recreation activities
• butterfly emporium
• an acknowledgement to Indigenous people on the property

"The project concept is designed to be an exciting addition to the Canal District and will complement the existing boardwalk, Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site and Agawa Canyon Train Station," say Tom Vair, a city deputy chief administrative officer, and Melanie Borowicz-Sibenik from the legal department, in a report prepared for Tuesday's city council meeting.

"A development of this size will provide significant tax revenue to the city," Vair and Borowicz-Sibenik say.

"SIS Group has indicated there will be up to 100 new jobs created as a result of this development between the restaurant, recreation amenities, event space and museum," the staffers say.

"Using estimates for construction and job creation of 100 retail trade positions, the Northern Policy Institute Economic Impact Calculator indicates that this investment would generate $16,530,000 of (direct, indirect and induced) income (gross domestic product) in Algoma and 139 (direct, indirect and induced) full-year equivalent jobs. It should be noted that the jobs would be anticipated to ramp up as operations permit."

In setting the property price at $200,000 the city is taking into account that it's a 'brownfield' site, underutilized because of contamination from previous industrial uses.

The proposed purchase agreement allows a 45-day due diligence and conditional period to complete environmental studies and testing.

"If not satisfied with respect to such matters within the conditional period, SIS Group may terminate the agreement," the report states.

SIS Group must start building construction within three years.

"If SIS is required to dispose of contaminated soil/material from the property over the next four years, the developer will be allowed to dispose of up to 3,000 metric tonnes of contaminated soil or other material at no charge at the city's landfill on Fifth Line."

The city will deposit proceeds from the property sale in a Gateway property reserve.

The funds will be committed to pay for any future costs related to development of the remaining Gateway property.

SooToday will livestream Tuesday's council meeting starting at 5 p.m.