The City of Kitchener says it wants to have a new operator for the Boathouse restaurant and music venue in Victoria Park by next summer.

Rod Regier, Kitchener’s director of economic development, says the city will “expedite” the process to ensure the facility is ready when 2014’s weather turns nice.

“We’re hoping to get an RFP document together for council to approve by the end of the month,” he told CTV News following a Tuesday night council meeting.

The Boathouse had been operated by Kevin Doyle for the past nine years, during which time it became a popular part of Waterloo Region’s music scene.

With Doyle owing unpaid rent and expenses totaling $16,000, city officials moved into the city-owned building Monday, boarding up the windows and changing the locks.

“We really didn’t have anything to work with,” said Regier.

“No options were actually put on the table by the time we absolutely needed it to be done.”

The city’s goal, Regier says, is for the new operator to maintain both the restaurant and the music venue roles of the Boathouse.

The Boathouse wasn’t the only Victoria Park-related matter discussed Tuesday night by councillors.

Standalone washrooms had been planned for the park, and federal grant money had been approved for the project, but the eight bids received came in between $560,000 and $788,000 – all well over what had been budgeted for the washrooms.

“I’m shocked at the dollar figure that we’re talking about,” said Coun. Berry Vrbanovic.

City staff will reassess how much the city should pay for the washrooms before any further action is taken.