Affirming their commitment to north Red Deer residents, most city councillors approved $2.6 million to design a G.H. Dawe Centre enhancement.
But when the project will be built was entwined with council discussions about whether to delay a new aquatic centre with a 50-metre pool by four years, or to switch around the two projects, so that the Dawe Centre enhancements are delayed instead.
As originally presented in the 2019 capital budget, the entire Dawe project, including a twinned and expanded arena and new spray park, would cost an additional $32 million in construction costs over 2021 and 2022. Council heard that a $15-million federal grant has already been applied for to help support these costs.
Coun. Frank Wong said north Red Deer residents are owed facilities that are in line with those in the rest of the city.
He described the G.H. Dawe Centre as having “the shallowest pool in the city, gyms with ceilings lower than anyone else’s,” an under-sized rink and inadequate parking.
Wong said the facility was supposed to receive some enhancements since before 2007, but these were pushed back every year. He made an impassioned argument for proceeding with the proposed upgrades now.
Mayor Tara Veer was among the majority on council who supported moving ahead on the project. She is concerned about the failing Kinex Arena, built in 1961 as a barn and later converted to an ice surface.
Veer said it isn’t worth putting $7 million to $10 million into the old building to fix the refrigerated slab, which is cracking, and other equipment that’s breaking down.
The Dawe Centre enhancement would replace this old arena with a new rink that’s twinned to the existing one (which would also be expanded to official hockey size).
As well, there would be additional spectator stands, upgraded dressing rooms and, eventually, an outdoor spray park.
Only councillors Tanya Handley, who objected to the debt load, and Vesna Higham, who felt the priority for the community is a new aquatic centre, voted against designing the Dawe enhancement project at this time.
Tuesday evening, council was still discussing various options for the proposed aquatic centre. Administration is recommending it be located either at the Recreation Centre for about $77 million or as a stand-alone pool in the Timberlands area within the Agora Complex — which will eventually contain two high schools — at a cost of $79.6 million.
The staff recommendation is to build a 54-metre pool design with 10 swim lanes, a combined dive tank, a smaller outdoor pool and all the standards to meet national swim competitions.
Veer said project scope and location and detailed design are vital components toward making a decision. “It‘s very difficult for us to make a decision as to where to slot it in the capital plan until we know what these costs are.”
City manager Craig Curtis suggested putting “significant dollars“ to allow for experts to do a detailed design. Council will discuss funding the pool design over two years.
Some of the other capital budget decisions made Tuesday:
* Council opted to add a second water slide to the Collicutt Centre for $235,000, a project that had been deferred for a number of years.
“Capital budget has to be more than wastewater and roads… This vote is for kids and families,” said Coun. Dianne Wyntjes.
* Council opted not to spent $103,000 to study the expansion of the emergency call dispatch centre. Most of council felt the study should be done closer to when the city is financially able to fund a centre expansion.
* Compact storage solutions at a cost of $289,000 for 2019 were approved to help solve the artifact and archival storage problems at the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery.
Compact storage will allow for more space for more artifacts, council was told, and additional storage equipment could be brought in over a few years if approved in future.