CANADA - Winnipeg Convention Centre (WCC) hopes to receive a grant from the remaining cash from the P3 Canada Fund to kick-start expansion plans.
The P3 Canada Fund is a pot of federal money devoted to public-private partnerships, which could help pay for the CA$200m (US$195.1m) expansion of the WCC, says GM Klaus Lahr. It wants to add an extra 65,000sqm of exhibition space and 30,000sqm of meeting space.
WCC initially asked all three levels of government to help pay for the expansion, but received a cool reception from former premier, Gary Doer. In an attempt to kick-start the project, the WCC board made a pitch for private partners to come on board.
"Several companies have responded to an expression-of-interest document," says Lahr. "We're still quite a way from finalising or inking any deal, but I think we have come quite a way to accepting the fact that (a public-private partnership) should be the deal structure."
About $800m remains in the P3 Fund, which may be used to pay for $25m of a given project.
