Saugeen Shores OKs construction of $50M aquatic and wellness centre
The Town of Saugeen Shores has approved the construction and financing of a new Aquatic & Wellness Centre, alongside a reimagining of the Town’s Municipal Office and Council Chambers – all at a cost of nearly $50 million.
The new centre will be located east of the town’s existing municipal hall and plex arena. Its main elements include: an aquatic facility featuring an eight-lane, 25-metre pool; a walking track; a wellness centre; and common use areas such as change rooms, washrooms, offices and customer service areas.
Council expects the project to cost $49,948,500, which the town will pay for through operating revenue, development charges as well as steady payments through its legacy fund. Council created the fund in 2019 to support large projects, including recreational sports and cultural centres.
“I am very pleased with council’s decision to build the centre,” said Mayor Luke Charbonneau. “This facility – along with the Lamont Sports Park – is why we established the Legacy Fund in the first place. It also shows how development charges are helping to build a better community as we grow. Our careful planning means we can now build two world-class recreational facilities that will generate enormous economic benefits, while serving our residents for decades.”
The plan also includes a redesign of the municipal offices to create a new space that is more modern, with a better use of space and technology to foster productivity and worker well-being.
“Our municipal offices were built in 1999, when our population was 20 percent smaller and static,” said Charbonneau. “Since then, we have grown significantly, and we expect to keep growing. That means not only creating resources to serve the public better, but also changing the way we work.”
The changes are expected to allow staff to work more productively to meet the residents’ needs for the next 20 years. Reconfiguring the offices at the same time as the Aquatic & Wellness Centre build will increase economies of scale, as well as appropriate usage of the site.
The Legacy Fund will have over $6 million immediately available for the project and is able to contribute yearly after that. The centre’s operating revenue will recover the project’s start-up costs by 2030. The town will apply to several federal and provincial programs to help pay for the project, including: the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund, the Association of Municipalities Ontario Canadian Community-Building Fund, the Ontario Trillium Foundation Capital Grant Program, and the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
Saugeen Shores has already issued a Request for Proposal for a construction management firm to run the project.
The construction manager will work with town staff and consultant on the final design aspects of the facility.
“This is extremely beneficial as the construction manager will bring construction knowledge and expertise early in the design phase to ease construction and determine material availability,” said Kristan Shrider, Director, Community Services and Operations in a report to council.
Construction is set to begin in the summer of 2023, with a planned completion date of early 2025.