THUNDER BAY - With cleanup of the former Sports Dome site underway, the financial fight over the collapsed structure will go before the courts.
The Canadian Lakehead Exhibition claimed it was seeking unpaid lease payments from the owners of the Sports Dome, as well as cleanup costs and other damages and on April 3 filed a lawsuit against the Sports Dome seeking $1 million.
Court documents obtained on Wednesday by Dougall Media show the owners of the Sports Dome on May 15 filed a counterclaim against the CLE for more than $2 million.
The claim states that “as a consequence of the Plaintiff CLE’s breach of the lease agreement and/or the Subsequent Agreement, the Sportsdome GP, in its capacity as general partner of the Sportsdome LP, has suffered damages.”
The Sports Dome collapsed in November 2016 following a winter storm. According to the counterclaim, a subsequent agreement would allow for modified lease payments to the CLE while the two negotiated alternative uses for the site.
“The CLE frustrated all attempts of the Sports Dome LP to restore the site and to maximize the value of the lease,” the statement continues.
The lease was terminated by the CLE on Jan. 15, 2018.
Rob Zanette, one of the co-owners of the Sports Dome, said he wanted make it clear that the there was no judgment allowing the CLE to terminate its lease with the Sports Dome.
Al Law, president of the CLE, did not comment on the counterclaim, only stating that they look forward to seeing them in court.
