There will, of course, be critics of the sale.
After all the i's are dotted and t's crossed on Merchant Square's sale, there will still be questions. Could the city have gotten more? How much did the city really make, if anything, given all of its internal costs?
But at this point in time, at this juncture in the city's downtown vision, this is a good thing - in fact, a very good thing. And the city - and, most importantly, Mayor Wayne Wright - deserves a sincere pat on the back.
The civic centre and office space above it was a giant leap for this city.
When Uptown Group pulled out of the deal in 2012, the city was faced with having to take on the risk itself, or selling quickly - and losing control of the project and its investment . It took on the risk.
And let us be clear here. This is largely due to one man's leadership.
Wright, since the day he took office (or some might argue, even before his election) has had his sights set on bringing the downtown area back to the vibrant centre it was in a bygone era. Agree or disagree with Wright's vision, but he has not wavered in his quest.
Putting a civic centre downtown - which is jammed with old buildings, narrow streets and aging infrastructure and is in the midst of a residential evolution - demanded taking the longer view.
We believe that it is the right step in the long-term identity and development of this city. In fact, even if the city just breaks even, it's a worthy venture.
A lot of what city planners and city leaders have been doing during the last five to seven years is making up for what city leaders did not do in the previous 15 to 25 years. And, if the city did not build a "heart" in the city's downtown, we believe it would be an uphill struggle to keep the downtown vibrant and this city moving forward. It would not have been enough to just build a waterfront park and encourage small businesses to put their faith in that area.
We're not sure if Joe Segal was an ardent bridegroom in this marriage or if there was some serious matchmaking. But it's the right commitment at the right time. And we raise a glass of bubbly to toast this union.
