Building a community association centre to serve Red Deer’s northwest side is in the works for 2013, says a City of Red Deer official.
Pauline Mousseau, community and program facilitator for the city, said the city is looking at having a regional community centre built, possibly at the Glendale school site, in three years.
Council has earmarked $131,000 for planning in 2011 and another $193,000 for designs in 2012. The building construction is estimated at more than $1 million.
Mousseau said the centre would allow for up to 150 people to meet.
“And it would allow for the centre to be divided so that multiple groups can meet at once,” said Mousseau.
She anticipates the building could also have a large kitchen for various programming.
“There’s a lot more potential on what the community could use the (centre) for,” Mousseau said.
The Aspen Heights/Normandeau Community Enhancement Association, along with the City of Red Deer and Alberta Recreation and Parks Association, has been working on ways to enhance recreation, parks, arts, culture and heritage in the area northwest of 67th Street.
Five neighbourhoods would benefit from improvements — Aspen Heights/Normandeau, Glendale, Kentwood, Johnstone Crossing and Johnstone Park.
Within this area exists one small community activity centre on the Normandeau Central Park site at 49 Noble Ave.
Mousseau said the parks department looked at how to reconfigure the sports fields at the park so that they are more useful for the public school there. As well, there are plans for remedial work at the community centre such as clearing some trees directly around it.
But the real focus is on the larger community centre, she added.
“We’re really trying to explore different ways to create a sense of belonging in a neighbourhood,” Mousseau said.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com