The City of New Westminster’s 2016 capital budget includes a number of initiatives related to new schools.
The capital plan includes $1 million for Massey Theatre in 2016, with an additional $4.5 million going to the project in 2017 and another $4.5 million in 2018. The city has agreed to partner with the school district on reconstruction of Massey Theatre as part of the construction of a new high school.
Coun. Bill Harper said the school plan is awaiting approval from the province’s Treasury Board, which “is supposed to be any day now.”
As part of redevelopment of New Westminster Secondary School, the city may relocate the existing skate park.
Dean Gibson, the city’s director of parks, culture and recreation, said the 2016 capital plan includes $1 million for the skate park, which includes determining an alternate location, design and construction. “The wildcard is in the timing as this work is somewhat connected to the timeframes involving NWSS reconstruction, which is still uncertain at this time.”
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said the skate park may not actually be located on the future high school’s footprint.
Whether or not the skate part needs to be relocated, it will require work, said Gibson, as the city has only been doing minor patches and repairs of the amenity in anticipation of relocating it elsewhere in the city.
“With respect to alternate locations, that’s part of our work plan for this year. That is part and parcel in terms of locations and design elements,” he said. “Irrespective of whether the skate park is relocated or not, if it were able to remain in its current location, that is the city’s first and oldest skateboard park and it is well past its prime so it would require some level of investment regardless of whether it stayed there or went elsewhere.”
The city’s 2016 capital plan also includes $500,000 for a gymnasium and washroom expansion at Ecole Fraser River Middle School, which is now under construction.
“The city and the school district have a longstanding partnership on enhancing school facilities as they’ve been constructed,” Gibson said. “That program started with Glenbrook Middle School, carried through to Queensborough Middle School and is carrying forward at Fraser River Middle School, where essentially the city is making a contribution toward the expansion of that gym above and beyond the size that the school district would receive funding for.”
Puchmayr said the city has helped fund larger gymnasiums, when it’s something the province should be funding.
“It’s an offload to local government,” he said. “The schools need the larger size gymnasiums. The government is saying ‘no, you’ll do with this.’ Our local government is coming in and saying it would be better for everybody if it’s larger. So, it’s an offload.”
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said the city has provided funds to the school district for gymnasium facilities, but they’re often not available to the public for residents’ association meetings or other uses.
“They can’t be seen as simply a gift,” he said of city funds. “Really, those should be talked about and decided before moneys are handed over without any understanding or agreements.”
