Plans for the north end regional community centre are slowly taking shape in Red Deer.
The city hosted a two open houses at the G.H. Dawe Community Centre on Wednesday to gather feedback on the need for the proposed centre and the potential amenities and spaces within the facility.
Some features of the proposed multi-purpose community centre include a community kitchen, Internet cafe, board rooms, meeting spaces, community garden, skate park and offices.
“It is going to help balance the services in the city,” said Judy MacGillivray, a self-described community-minded downtown resident who has lived in Red Deer since 1970. “Now everything is pretty well central or in the south. This will help provide services in the northern area so people won’t have to travel so far.”
The proposed site is on city-owned park space, west of Glendale School.
MacGillivray liked what she saw in the offerings but she felt there were a few things missing in the blueprints. She said there should be locked storage to encourage people to rent rooms on a regular basis. MacGillivray said a larger mirrored dance studio similar to the ones at Red Deer College and the Collicutt Centre would also be welcomed.
North end resident Linda Wit said she would like to see a running track and activities for children in the new facility.
Wit and MacGillivray were two of the estimated 35 residents who attended the first session of the open house. Construction on the multi-year project is expected to get underway in 2015-2016. The facility would serve areas north of 67th Street including the Kentwood, Johnstone Park and Johnstone Crossing, Aspen Heights, Normandeau and Glendale neighbourhoods. Currently, the G.H. Dawe Community Centre is the only major public facility north of the Red Deer River and the Normandeau Activity Centre is the only small neighbourhood facility north of 67 Street and west of Gaetz Avenue.
Pauline Mousseau, neighbourhood community development co-ordinator for the City of Red Deer, said there have been past meetings with the stakeholders and now they are trying to determine whether they are on the right track. The city showed photo examples of community spaces like the Sylvan Lake Family and Community Centre and the Prospect Road Community Centre in Halifax, N.S. Mousseau said the photos have helped bring it to life for residents.
“What is being contemplated maybe doesn’t exist in Red Deer at this point,” said Mousseau. “So it’s new, new territory for us.”
The community consultation process that include focus groups is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.
After the focus groups, there will be a report to the community followed a report to city council. The city has a survey on the proposed facility at www.reddeer.ca.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com