Coun. Raj Sandhu summarized the issue he and his colleagues on Bradford West Gwillimbury council face when it comes to building a new community centre at 125 Simcoe Rd.: they need an all-inclusive administration and community building, but they just don’t want to pay for it.
“So, what direction do we give staff?” he pondered. “Play Lotto Max and see if we can get some funding?”
Councillors discussed a cost-benefit analysis prepared by staff about the redevelopment of 125 Simcoe Rd. during committee-of-the-whole April 5. Staff sought direction from the councillors as to the preferred strategy for the new community centre to create a financial plan for the project by mid-year.
No formal recommendation was provided by committee at the meeting – and further discussion is likely at the April 19 council meeting when the committee minutes are approved, as Deputy Mayor James Leduc and Coun. Ron Orr were not in attendance and did not get a chance to speak to the issue – but staff were provided with ample commentary from councillors throughout the debate to move the process forward.
“I think it’s fair to say that there is a general consensus around the pieces that you want to see there,” said CAO Geoff McKnight. “It’s the composition, and perhaps the order of delivery of those pieces where we’re a bit stuck on what the final product might look like.”
However the project takes shape, there is a strong likelihood the 65-year-old Bradford and District Memorial Community Centre might need to be replaced entirely.
A recent assessment of the town’s old arena found it to be generally in “fair to poor” condition, the staff report indicated, with several significant areas of concern, including “crumbling/spalling sections of concrete foundation, vertical and lateral cracking/separation of block walls indicating some shifting of the foundation over the years, brick veneer spalling and cracking.”
If the building were to be kept, more than $7 million in renovations are required to add 40 years to its lifespan. Not only would choosing to merely renovate the building fail to meet “current and future anticipated demand” but it would also require a secondary facility. That cost begins at $16 million, staff suggest, without taking into account such factors as servicing, associated amenities or any potential land purchase.
The staff report also presented another option, split into two choices, that would see the current community centre demolished and replaced with a new 60,000- or 70,000-square-foot building – approximately twice the size of the current building – at a cost ranging from about $23.7 million to $25.8 million.
“You have your hands full with this project,” Coun. Peter Dykie told Director of Community Services Terry Foran as debates are bound to be had among the community regarding the future of the current community centre were previewed around the council table.
“They still have this feel for the historical background for where it happened for them,” Coun. Gary Lamb said of the sentiment he hears toward both the rink and the adjoining soccer pitch. “I’m not certain that building’s going to fall down tomorrow…. There’s a lot of historical perspectives there, so we have to move carefully.”
Lamb also looked to the amount of money the town has spent in recent years and has committed already to future projects. Dykie alluded to this as well, while hopeful development charges and grants could ease the burden for ratepayers.
But Lamb felt that moving too quickly to commit more public dollars could be detrimental, especially given the recent major capital projects, such as the leisure centre and library, that have yet to be paid off.
“I’m also looking at what effect does it have on the sustainability of the community,” Lamb said. “I’m looking at a cautious thing here… I’d rather have a future that is safe financially than to have bought something we ultimately can’t afford.”
Coun. Mark Contois disagreed with Lamb’s assessment. The new-build option, in his eyes, was the best use of the land and essential to improving the delivery of services in the municipality, as the town’s current physical administration set-up – in different buildings located in different parts of Bradford West Gwillimbury – is not convenient for the residents.
“We just can’t keep pushing the envelope and saying, ‘we’ll build 10 years down the road;’ we’ve been pushing this one for quite a long time,” Contois said. “The structure itself is an old structure: I coached there, my son played hockey there, I have history in that building like everybody else in this community. But, at the end of the day, it’s not cost-effective to try and salvage that building.”
Building one all-encompassing administration building – a proper town hall – has been the driving force behind this project, particularly through this term of council, Mayor Rob Keffer said, while adding support for Lamb's suggestion to save the community centre from demolition at this time.
What he hoped to see in the next staff report was just what is required on-site, particularly considering what services are to be offered at the new community hub at 177 Church St.
Keffer and Coun. Jonathan Scott shared concerns about the renderings of the options presented in the staff report, with the mayor suggesting the designs didn’t “fit in with the general area of the community centre.”
Staff will take the comments made by councillors into consideration as they develop options to proceed, including financial forecasts. McKnight said he’s hopeful following the next report, due later this year, that an approved plan can be in place. Shovels might not be in the ground in 2022, but the momentum will be headed in the right direction.
Getting to that point is something most councillors tend to agree needs to happen sooner than later.
“We need to have this project moving forward,” Sandhu said. “We need to invest in downtown. And if we don’t do it, why would someone else?”