A Kitchener councillor says he wants city staff to publicly release the names of the Boathouse’s three possible buyers.
Berry Vrbanovic notes the suitors’ names are already well known in Kitchener’s music and entertainment circles, but councillors have not been formally presented with the shortlist.
That’s why he plans to put forward a motion at Monday's council meeting calling for more transparency.
“Let’s have it out there,” Vrbanovic says. “Let’s keep this as open and transparent as possible.”
The three people widely believed to have bid on the Boathouse are Bill MacTavish, the owner of Imbibe Food and Drink, the Crossman brothers, who run the Koi Music Festival and Glenn Smith, owner of Ethel’s Lounge and Frat Burger.
Smith, for his part, created a Facebook page declaring his intent to try to buy the Boathouse.
City contracts are typically made public once staff has vetted the bids, but in the case of the Boathouse, staff created a second step in its selection process.
“They weren’t sure how many applicants they were going to get in the first place and they wanted to focus on between three and five,” says Vrbanovic.
The future owner of the Boathouse will be officially confirmed on Dec. 9.
