The decision to move forward with a $15.45 million outdoor ice rink in City Hall Square won't be made until the next council meeting.
The project includes an oval-shaped ice rink with a centre island with water and light features that can be activated in the spring and summer months. The project also includes a pavilion to house the zamboni, refrigeration system, water feature equipment, storage and public washrooms.
A budget of $9,369,745 has already been set aside for the project but the lowest bidder came in considerably above budget.
Councillor Fabio Costante requested a deferral on the discussion because the issue wasn't added to the agenda until Friday afternoon.
"I think conceptually we're excited about many things, but there's infinite ideas and there's finite dollars and so as budgets increase considerably, facts have changed considerably I think we need to have a thoughtful discussion and engage the public," said Councillor Fabio Costante.
City administration has identified various revenue sources to cover the additional dollars. The extra funds would come from the Corporate Inflation Mitigation project, Canada Community Building Fund, Fund 176, and Tourism Infrastructure Development and Program.
"Council just has to decide, do they want a 12-month feature that has ice skating, that has a water feature outside of their city hall or do they want something less or do nothing at all," said Mayor Drew Dilkens. "We've gone through and spent a lot of money getting the consultant's reports and having the architect design these works I'm hopeful they'll want to proceed with some project."
If the project moves forward, the two-week delay could mean it will not be open for the upcoming winter season.
The issue will be discussed at the next Windsor City Council meeting on June 10, 2024.