The City of Kitchener has kicked off construction of a new multi-purpose indoor recreation facility at RBJ Schlegel Park.

City council approved construction of the proposed premier indoor recreation complex and Kitchener’s first net-zero carbon building in April. The facility is expected to welcome more than 380,000 people in its first year of operation after opening in late 2026.

The Government of Canada is investing $9.7 million in this project, and the Government of Ontario is investing over $8 million through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The remaining costs of the $144-million project will be funded through development charge revenues collected by the City of Kitchener.

“The vision for this new multi-purpose recreation facility for our community has become a reality with the launch of the construction phase,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “As our community continues to grow, this new recreation complex will help to ensure we can meet the diverse recreational needs of our residents for decades to come and promises to be a wonderful addition to RBJ Schlegel Park.”

The new recreation facility will include a wide variety of amenities, including: a FIFA-sized indoor turf fieldhouse that can be divided into four individual fields, an aquatics centre with a community leisure pool and a separate lane pool, a second-floor walking track around the perimeter of the turf field, an indoor cricket batting cage, and a multi-purpose space.

The facility has been designed as one of the most sustainable recreation facilities in Canada, and is pursuing certification under the Canda Green Building Council Zero Carbon Building Standard.

In addition to operating at a high level of energy efficiency through a geothermal heating and cooling system, it will also house the city’s largest array of solar panels that will reduce 22 tonnes of carbon annually and save the city close to $100,000 in utility costs every year.

The city is using Integrated Project Delivery in the design and construction of the complex. General contractors Multiplex Canada will work with a team that includes AECOM Inc., Walters Inc., Guild Electric Limited, Flynn and Sutherland-Schultz to deliver the project.