Mayor Brian Bowman's inner circle has approved a plan to nearly double the funding for a walkway in St. Boniface.

Last year, council approved the construction of the Tache Promenade as a $5.2-million project. The cost has since risen to $10.1 million, partly because it will involve more riverbank-stabilization work.

Members of council's public works committee could not agree on the need to proceed with the project last week, when the committee got hung up in a 2-2 vote. But the plan received unanimous approval from executive policy committee on Wednesday.

Appearing before EPC, St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard characterized the walkway as "a core infrastructure project." North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty said that's not the case, calling the walkway "merely nice to have."

The increased budget for the walkway faces a final vote next week at the September city council meeting.

More money spent on Portage & Main

Coun. Jeff Browaty said the city continues to spend more money on plans to reopen Portage and Main.

Browaty produced documents Wednesday that suggest the city paid Dillon Consulting another $10,000 on pre-construction services outside the scope of a previously disclosed $116,000 traffic-impact study.

Browaty, who opposes the project, claimed the mayor's office is attempting to do an end-run around council by finalizing Portage and Main plans before councillors have a chance to review the Dillon report.

The city also paid Vancouver firm Perkins+Will $70,000 to come up with a Portage and Main design vision.

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