New Westminster is treading into plans that will lay the foundation for the redevelopment of Canada Games Pool.
Staff has presented council with a series of process, design and financial principles related to the project, which will consider the redevelopment of the Canada Games Pool and Centennial Community Centre facilities. The city has yet to determine whether this would involve rehabilitation of the existing facilities or construction of new amenities.
“It’s these principles that are going to help us make that decision when it comes forward,” said Mayor Jonathan Cote.
Dean Gibson, the city’s director of parks, culture and recreation, said the March 9 staff report is intended to lay out an approach for how work will unfold on this “very important” project for the city.
A feasibility study done in 2010 considered a number of different scenarios for the Canada Games Pool and Centennial Community Centre, including minimal upgrades to existing buildings and demolition and replacement of existing buildings with new facilities on the sports field/recycling depot site (including a new 10-lane, 52-metre pool, a separate leisure pool, a 20,000-square-foot fitness centre, new change rooms, multi-purpose rooms, food concession and support spaces.) At the time, consultants indicated the projects ranged from $15 to $55 million.
Jennifer Wilson, assistant director of parks, culture and recreation, said staff will “refresh” information gathered in 2010. Part of the process will be looking at the city’s needs, as well as identifying barriers that prevent people from using the facilities today.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said he’d like the city to have a closer look at what’s being offered in neighbouring communities and what can be done to make sure costs don’t escalate beyond what the city can afford.
“I have to look at it as someone saying, can we really afford it, especially with the other things we are building in New Westminster,” he said.
Fiscal responsibility, said Wilson, is one of the key principles of the guiding principles developed by staff.
Coun. Mary Trentadue said she’d like staff to provide more details about the facilities, such as who uses the pool, how often and busiest times for the facilities.
Coun. Patrick Johnstone said he’d like discuss whether the East Sixth Avenue site is the right location for a pool and community centre, or whether it would be better suited to a different location in the city. Cote said the default location is the existing site, but it’s worth discussing whether a different location would be better.
The principles developed by staff address issues such as innovation, community and stakeholder engagement, consistency with the city’s strategic directions, community need and fiscal feasibility and accountability.
Cote said he’d like staff to develop some principles related to financial sustainability, particularly around the operational costs of operating the facility.
“As council has included the redevelopment of the Canada Games Pool and Centennial Community Centre among its priorities for the coming term, it is appropriate to establish a series of project principles to help guide the overall approach taken on this initiative,” said a staff report. “The project guiding principles have been developed to reflect the unique New Westminster context and also incorporate the lessons learned form the lived experiences in other jurisdictions.”
Gibson said staff will bring the principles back to city council for its consideration at its next meeting. He said the work being done now is really important to building a foundation for a very significant project that has financial and community impacts.
