Incumbent mayoral candidate Al McDonald says claims of a rejected Costco are false.

“I support a Costco development in our city”, he says in a media release.

McDonald is commenting on a charge that North Bay could have had a Costco store 6 years ago.

Businessman John Cutsey, a supporter of mayoral candidate Gary Gardiner, made the allegation at a news conference Thursday.

“The contract was in a gentleman’s hands when he walked into the mayor’s office. He was smiling and excited and then it was squashed,” he says.

Cutsey says the entrepreneur who arranged the deal was scheduled to speak at the news conference but didn’t attend because he is in local business in North Bay.

Cutsey believes Costco could come here if Gardiner wins on Monday in the election.

“Because if the existing mayor got in, why would he change his mind if he got in. Why did it stop in the first place? His concern was the effect of having a Costco here would have on local businesses and retail, that’s why he squashed the deal,” Cutsey says.

McDonald says approval of the Mayor is not needed to build or locate in North Bay.

He goes on to say other than zoning approvals, there is nothing standing in the way of a private business owner entering in to an agreement with Costco or any other retailer.

Further to that, McDonald says the Mayor and council don’t have the authority to prevent a land owner from applying for rezoning property.

McDonald says his whole platform is about growth and development and he supports a Costco development in the city.

Filed under: costco, gary-gardiner, john-cutsey