With water on their minds due to the boil-water advisory, city councillors quickly passed a motion to put the Carlton Inn site on the market for expressions of interest with little debate Wednesday.
Council also agreed to let Stuart Olson construction pay a reduced penalty of $3.75 million to back out of a hotel deal for the property, a stipulation of the convention centre expansion.
It's unclear how this will impact a plan by True North, who signed an option agreement with CentreVentre to develop on the site last September.
The secret deal upset Mayor Brian Bowman who chastised CentreVentre for making that agreement without council approval while Stuart Olson still had a stake in the property.
Along with a surface parking across the street from the Carlton Inn land, True North wants to build a hotel, office tower, residential units and a plaza.
