Guelph council approves additional $35.5 million to build South End Community Centre
Guelph is moving ahead with building a rec centre in the city’s south end despite the increased cost of construction.
At Tuesday’s meeting, councillors approved an additional $35.5 million for the project, bringing its total budgeted cost to $115.5 million.
The planned facility, which will be located off Clair Road beside Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School, will have two ice pads, an aquatic centre with an eight-lane lap pool and a smaller teaching pool, a double gymnasium, walking track and multi-purpose rooms.
The increased cost will be mostly funded from development charges, although staff acknowledged there is some uncertainty about how much the city will be able to collect from developers in the future, given major changes coming under Bill 23.
Still, council felt it was important to move ahead with the project, the concept for which has been in the works since 2003.
“This has been 20 years in the making,” Coun. Ken Yee Chew said at a committee of the whole meeting on March 7, where the increased costs were given preliminary approval. “I think we have to take a calculated risk as well with cashing in the development charges for this project, this is something the community has been expecting us to deliver for a long time.”
(Council agenda package/City of Guelph)
Construction was originally approved in 2020 with a budget of $80 million, but inflation pushed the cost to $129 million by the time tenders came back in 2022.
The city ended up cancelling the tender and revising the building design to bring the cost down to $115.5 million.
Cost-saving measures included removing a rear courtyard and some hallway space, simplifying the design of the exterior façade and pausing a plan to commission and install public art unless money is left in the budget at the end of the project.
The city says construction on the South End Community Centre is expected to begin this fall with doors opening in late 2026.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.