South end residents will get their community centre. City council voted 12-1 in favour of the $80 million project during a special meeting on Wednesday evening.
“It really is an amenity for everybody,” said Coun. Dominique O’Rourke of Ward 6, which includes the south end. “Just as people in the south end have been driving to the West End or Victoria Road Rec Centre for the past 20 years, this is an amenity for the entire city.”
The 165,000-square-foot South End Community Centre (SECC) will include a 25-metre pool with eight lanes, two gyms, two ice pads, indoor walking track and five meeting rooms. It is to be built on Clair Road, beside Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School, just north of the Larry Pearson baseball complex.
Construction is expected to begin in 2022, with a tentative opening planned for autumn of 2024.
Coun. Bob Bell was the only council member who voted against the project, suggesting it’s too large and now is not the time for this sort of major spend.
“We are in uncertain very uncertain times now,” he said, referring to the pandemic. “We do not know how things will be on the other side.
“I think it’s far too risky to move forward now.”
Wednesday’s project approval will see city staff phase in an estimated annual operating cost of $2.4 million as part of the 2021-2024 operating budget and forecast.
Council voted against a proposal from O’Rourke to remove $400,000 from the project intended to go toward public art. However, those funds will now be shown in the 2023 capital forecast contingent upon funding being available from the future community benefit charge bylaw, expected by September 2022.
The estimated price tag for the SECC was $68 million a year ago. Much of the $12 million increase stems from the addition of environmentally sustainable technology and features, as well as general inflation. Some of the features are designed to lessen the potential for future electricity price increases, as well as provide $87,000 in annual savings compared to the previous design, as well as bring down greenhouse gas emissions by 85 per cent.
Development charges (DCs) are expected to cover about 85 per cent of the facility's cost, with the rest contributed by taxpayers, though $40 million of those DCs have not yet been collected and the city will need to take out a loan to cover them. A $10 million taxpayer-funded loan will also be needed.
The project includes 521 spaces to be shared between the community centre, the high school and park.
As a result of SECC construction, the park and its amenities – Larry Pearson Ball diamonds, tennis courts, splash pad and playground – will not be accessible for 2022 and “most likely” 2023, states a staff report.
“Staff will work with user groups to relocate requests to other city facilities. In the event that safe access and appropriate parking become available, we will endeavor to open the park earlier while work continues inside the building,” it states.
“Staff will also be working closely with the Wellington Catholic District School Board to provide reduced temporary parking spaces, safe from the construction site, while the permanent shared parking area is being created.”
