Vernon council backing $90 million proposed active living centre

Vernon council has given initial support to a proposed active living centre at the Kin Race Track site costing about $90 million.

Mayor Victor Cumming said council had a lively discussion Monday on the final report of a feasibility study into new recreational facilities done by a consulting firm.

“In the end, we selected the largest facility at Kin Race Track (43rd Avenue next to Kal Tire Place). It’s a number of components all together,” Cumming told Vernon Matters.

The facility would include an eight-lane 50 metre pool, a steam sauna, hot tub, a three-lane warm-up pool and a leisure pool with a tot slide.

Also there would be a double gymnasium with a 150 metre walking/jogging track above, bleachers and viewing area for the swimming events, an 80-station fitness centre, and eight multi-purpose studios.

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The mayor said the feasibility report next goes to Coldstream council and RDNO electoral areas B and C to see what they would like to see.

“The price tag is about $90 million,” Cumming said. “The price was slightly lower and then bounced up to give us a bit more room on contingencies. This is what they call a D level estimate which is plus or minus 25 per cent, so these are ball park cost estimates. The [consulting firm’s] cost estimate was in the $83 million level. We’ve taken it up to $90 million to give us more room just for initial discussions.”

Cumming said the current pool at the Vernon Recreation Centre would be decommissioned as part of the project.

“There might be some other uses for it, but this could be built in stages or all at once, but the current pool would not be decommissioned until the new pool is ready,” he said.

Cumming said the pool and fitness area could be built first followed by further stages to add the two gymnasiums and leisure aquatics.

“So you can break this up into phases. This doesn’t have to be all at once. All at once is just the most cost-effective way to do it, but it could be built in three phases.”

Cumming said a referendum will be needed to borrow money for the project.

“This is all on borrowed funds. This would require an education process with the community followed by a referendum, and the question would have to be approved by the province,” he said.

The mayor estimated a referendum could be held this fall at the earliest, or next spring, depending on what their partners think of the project and how quickly the province approves the referendum question.

Annual operating costs of a new fully developed facility are estimated to be about $1.4 million. This includes the savings that would be realized through the decommissioning of the current Vernon Aquatic Centre once the new facility was open.

“If the full facility was built at one time, the tax implication for the debt servicing and operation of the facility for the average Greater Vernon household is estimated to be approximately $167 annually,” said Doug Ross, director of recreation services with the city. “This amount could be reduced if we are able to secure grant funding or sponsorship dollars, but we don’t know what opportunities may exist in those areas at this time.”

City news release issued May 27, 2020

Vernon City Council has received the results of the Active Living Centre Feasibility Study, which includes a recommended preferred design option for future indoor recreation facilities for the Greater Vernon area.

The study was established as a result of the 2018 Recreation Master Plan, in which Greater Vernon residents identified a need for new indoor recreation opportunities. It was conducted by FaulknerBrowns Architects and staff from Greater Vernon Recreation Services.

The goal of the study was to find an indoor facility mix that meets the current and future needs of a growing community, while also having the opportunity to attract new residents and visitors to the Greater Vernon area.

“We have done a significant amount of public engagement and consultation during this study,” said Doug Ross, Director, Recreation Services. “We have spoken with and received feedback from thousands of Greater Vernon residents through pop-up events, stakeholder sessions, an open house, an online survey, an elected official’s workshop, and most recently, a statistically-valid controlled mail survey.”

Based on the results of the study, the recommendation is to build a new facility on the former Kin Racetrack site that includes: a 50m pool, leisure pool, double gymnasium, fitness centre, walking/running track and multi-purpose spaces.

“The feedback we received from Greater Vernon residents during the study was consistent with the Master Plan,” said Ross. “Each of the recreation spaces identified in the recommendation received strong public support – particularly a 50m pool – with an understanding that the construction and operation of a new or expanded facility would require an increase in taxation.”

“A vital aspect of the study was to fully understand the balance between what the community desires and what the community can afford,” continued Ross. “Throughout the process, the consultants listened carefully to public feedback and made several adjustments to the facility size and design to include the amenities requested by Greater Vernon residents while containing costs. Based on figures provided by the consultant team’s Quantity Surveyor, an Active Living Centre with all of the proposed amenities is estimated to cost approximately $83 million if built at one time (under a Class D estimate*).”

Annual operating costs of a new fully developed facility are estimated to be approximately $1.4 million. This includes the savings that would be realized through the decommissioning of the current Vernon Aquatic Centre once the new facility was open.

“If the full facility was built at one time, the tax implication for the debt servicing and operation of the facility for the average Greater Vernon household is estimated to be approximately $167 annually,” said Ross. “This amount could be reduced if we are able to secure grant funding or sponsorship dollars, but we don’t know what opportunities may exist in those areas at this time.”

As the public indicated that their preference was for Greater Vernon Recreation to only operate one aquatic facility, once a new 50m pool and leisure aquatics facility were being developed, another feasibility study would be required to determine how to repurpose the current Vernon Aquatic Centre.

The study provided several options for the development of the facility including building the facility all at one time or in phases. During its Regular Meeting of May 25, Vernon City Council supported in principle the conceptual plan for the Active Living Centre as presented, and the option to go to a referendum to borrow up to $90 million to build the full facility at one time.

“Our recreation facilities proudly serve residents of the entire Greater Vernon region, so before further steps can be taken we need to present the results of this feasibility study to the elected officials of the District of Coldstream and Electoral Areas B and C,” said Ross. “In order to go to referendum, we require unanimous support and direction from the elected officials of all the Greater Vernon Recreation Services funding partners.”

He continued, “At this time, we are all navigating the difficult impacts of COVID-19, however, it’s important to note that even if we receive direction to go to referendum, we would be another four or five years away from opening the doors to a new facility. This is a significant investment for our region and projects of this size take time and require careful consideration. We look forward to presenting the results of this study to our partners in the near future and to continue discussing how we might be able to take this project from the conceptual stage to a reality.”

To review the feasibility study results and stay up-to-date on the Active Living Centre process, visit www.gvrec.ca.