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Regional Recreation Centre FAQQ. Who are the members of the Regional Recreation Centre Steering Committee?
Architects - Shore Tilbe Perkins + Will Construction Manager - Aquicon Construction Company Limited City Project Manager, Brad McRoberts Q. Who do we contact if we have comments or questions? A. City Manager's Department, 2nd Floor, City Hall Executive Assistant & Public Relations Coordinator– Sharon Edwards Q. Who will oversee the fundraising for this project?A. The Family Y Board of Directors in conjunction with a volunteer fundraising committee and professional counsel from Ketchum Canada Inc. Family Y Board of Directors:
Volunteer Fundraising Committee Members:
For further information regarding donations please call 519-376-0484 ext. 222 or visit the Family Y website www.regionalreccentre.ca Q. Will the Coliseum be accessible during the construction of the new Recreation Centre?A. It will be business as usual at the Coliseum, although parking may be reduced to facilitate construction access. The ice surface will remain open until the new ice surface at the Regional Recreation Centre is operational. Q. What will the City do with the Coliseum?A. The City may entertain proposals from groups interested in using this facility for recreational purposes, providing the City is not expected to assume capital or operational costs. Otherwise, the City intends to demolish the structure, as the arena requires a new ice refrigeration system and floor, and will not be functional without these. Q. Will there be other features added to Victoria Park over the years?A. We consider Victoria Park to be a recreational campus and there could be additional features in the future. The City is currently initiating a master planning process for Victoria Park and will consult with the Agricultural Society, St. Mary’s High School, The Family Y, other users, and the general public during this process. Q. What is the Project budget?A. The budget for the project is $38.645 million. Every effort is being made to ensure that the Centre comes in on budget. Value engineering is being applied as the construction proceeds to reduce costs wherever possible without impacting the functionality of the Centre. The tendering process includes negotiations with successful bidders to keep costs to a minimum. Both the Architect Team and the Construction Manager work closely with the City, Family Y, Joint Management Committee and the Steering Committee to find savings and control costs. Q. How is the Project to be funded?A. The funding is expected to come one third from the province and one third from the federal government. The remaining third will come from a variety of sources including the City, the Family Y capital and community fundraising, and neighbouring municipalities. The breakdown of costing is as follows: Federal & Provincial $21.743M, Regional Partners $1.2M, City of Owen Sound $9.352M, Fundraising $5.0M, and Family Y $1.35M. For less than the cost of replacing the aging one rink Coliseum (approximately $10 million) the City will get two new rinks and an expanded, modern Health and Fitness Centre - the latter run by the Family Y. The City’s contribution will be funded through the interest on the investment of the $16 million in proceeds from the sale of the Georgian Bay Energy (GBE). Q. What is the Georgian Bay Energy (GBE) Fund, and what is it used for?A. The GBE Fund was created when the assets of Georgian Bay Energy, a publicly owned utility, were sold to Hydro One. The proceeds from the sale were invested and Council has committed to preserve the capital of this investment and use the interest to help fund large legacy projects such as the Regional Recreation Centre. These funds were previously allocated to projects such as the “Big Dig” and the Owen Sound Police Services building. Q. Is the building designed to allow for the installation of solar panels on the roof?A. Yes, the building roof can accommodate flat mounted solar panels. Q. Why aren’t there two shifts being used during the summer months to speed up the completion of the Centre?A. This strategy is being constantly evaluated and used for trade packages on a case-by-case basis. We foresee cases where we will be able to use multiple shifts. The use of additional shifts is limited to work that does not require a continuous supply of materials such as concrete and gravel that are only available during normal working hours. The use of additional shifts often has a cost premium which has to be weighed against any time advantage. Q. What are the environmentally friendly and energy efficient features of the Centre?A. There are a wide range of these features throughout the Centre including:
Q. Will there be local employment or business opportunities with the project?A. A significant amount of local businesses and labour will be used for the project, through arrangements with select, prequalified contractors, both union and non-union. For union work the contractors are required under their collective agreements with each union to acquire personnel through their local union offices drawing people from the local area as available. It is expected that there will be upwards of 150 people working on the project during peak periods with over 300 people working on the project over its duration. Generally, 60 to 70% of the on-site personal are from the Grey-Bruce region. Several local company services have been engaged on the project including but not limited to:
and several local private trucking firms including: In directly local business are also benefitting from the project from the use of local accommodations, food, entertainment, etc. including; A sign with a list of the local firms involved in the project will be maintained at the site and on the City’s website. This sign will be updated as required to reflect any additional local businesses that may become involved with the project. Q. How can I get an opportunity to work on this project or to provide services?A. A notice for Prequalification of Selected Contractors was issued by the City in November 2009 and the Construction Manager, Aquicon Construction Co. Ltd., has reviewed the submissions. The prequalification process ensures that companies working on the project have the experience, qualifications, and resources with respect to manpower and production capacity to undertake a project of this magnitude. Several of the various trade packages have been awarded. The list of prequalified companies or awarded contracts is published on the City’s website, www.owensound.ca/recreationcentre.php., along with a list of unions involved in the project and appropriate contact information. Local companies are encouraged to contact the prequalified/successful companies to determine if their company can be engaged to work on the project. Q. Can other functions be incorporated into the new Regional Recreation Centre?A. Currently the project commitments under the Project Charter include: No additional facilities can be incorporated into the program within the existing budget. Should an organization have a strong business case and funding, the Regional Recreation Centre Steering Committee will consider its proposal. Q. Will there be a canteen at the new facility?A. Services such as electrical and water connections for operation of a kiosk-style canteen have been included for the facility in the common areas. The City and the Family Y will not operate a canteen at the new facility. Organizations or businesses which wish to operate a kiosk-style canteen at the facility should contact the City. Q. What is the City’s relationship with the Family Y?A. The City’s Strategic Plan encourages the municipality to continuously evaluate partnering opportunities in the delivery of all City services. In 2007, the Recreation and Parks Master Plan recommended that the City, Family Y, and the community pursue the development of a new regional recreation complex. A task force was created and in August 2009 the City and Family Y signed a Memorandum of Understanding that outlined their collaboration to achieve the vision of a new community recreation centre. The Family Y has expertise in the delivery of recreation programs, and the City and Family Y have an aligned vision of an active and healthy community with facilities accessible to all people. The City and Family Y also have a strong partnership around the delivery of summer recreation programs. Q. How many spectators can the arenas hold?A. Each ice pad will be able to accommodate viewing for 280 people: Q. Why are we building two rinks?A. Needs assessments and public consultation undertaken by the City at the time of the funding application concluded that an additional ice surface was required to fulfill the current demands for recreational use. Q. Will there be seating in the new aquatic centre for competitions?A. There will not be fixed seating on the pool deck, as the area will be used for participants, coaches, and support personnel. However, the area outside the pool will accommodate up to 120 spectators, depending on how event organizers arrange the space. The walking/running track on the second floor of the fitness centre can also be used for spectator viewing. Additionally, electronic media can assist in allowing spectators a close-up view during competitions. Q. Will the new pool be competition size?A. The new pool will be competition size – 25 metres long and eight lanes wide – enabling us to host swim meets with the Owen Sound Aquatic Club and the Special Olympics Program in our community. Combined with the warm water leisure pool, which is the same size as the existing Y pool, it will triple the aquatic space currently available at the Family Y. An Olympic size pool is 50 metres long and geared to high-end competition in densely populated areas. The existing Family Y pool is fully booked, with more than 300 people using it daily. The new aquatic centre will readily meet the increased needs of our community for fitness, swim instruction, leisure play, rehabilitation and competition. Q. When was it discovered that the site had soil and groundwater concerns?A. The City and Family Y representatives were working with preliminary plans and cost estimates. Upon the hiring of the Architect and Construction Manager both assured the Steering Committee that the Centre could be completed by March 2011. After early geotechnical investigations it was understood that the facility would require an engineered foundation using caissons. Further study uncovered the presence of groundwater on the site. There were delays as the foundation had to be re-engineered and a dewatering plan put in place. Every development site has unique challenges and this one has been addressed and construction is moving forward. Q. Did the Committee and Council consider other building sites?A. Early on in the project development the City did investigate the potential to relocate the Regional Recreation Centre to other properties. Unfortunately much of the City within the valley is underlain with similar materials as those found at Victoria Park. The criteria for evaluating other sites included the existing topography or grade of the property (needed a relatively flat site); existing official plan designation and zoning; infrastructure would need to be in place (including roads, traffic studies, bus routes, water sewer, storm water drainage, etc.); ownership of the property (non-city owned property would have to be purchased which would increase the cost); subsurface conditions of other properties (shallow bedrock or similar soil conditions would also have additional cost); proximity to urban area (need to be in close proximity to urban area to permit pedestrian and bicycles access); and overall costs (cost had to be less than additional cost for Victoria Park). It was ultimately concluded that although there were other sites that may have met some of the above criteria the cost to acquire the land and establish the necessary infrastructure to the site exceeded the additional costs to develop the Victoria Park property. In addition, the relocation would have substantially delayed the project by months resulting in the potential for further loss of funding. The delay would be required as the building would need to be redesigned, geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations would have been required to be undertaken and any necessary re-zoning would need to be completed prior to initiating any of these activities. Q. I’m already paying federal, provincial and municipal taxes, so why am I also being asked to give to the project to finance this centre?A. A project this size requires funding from many different sources. The federal, provincial and municipal governments have committed capital funds. As well, the Family Y has also committed capital funds, however, the project also requires a community fundraising campaign. The Family Y is leading the community fundraising campaign for $5 million to build the $38 million centre. The Family Y is a charity and will issue income tax receipts for charitable donations. The Family Y is mobilizing its large network of volunteers, as well as welcoming new volunteers to implement this community fundraising campaign. Anyone interested in volunteering can call 519-376-0484 ext. 222. Q. How can the City afford to pay for its share of the Regional Recreation Centre and also finance the 9th Street bridge and a Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plan costing over $60 million?A. Funding for the Recreation Centre is being provided through debenture costs being paid off from the GBE Interest. (See “What is the Georgian Bay Energy (GBE) Fund?” above.) Other financing approaches are being used for the 9th Street Bridge project. Both Provincial and Federal funding is being provided for the Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades and the remaining portion will be financed by the utility users and not from the property tax base Q. Why do we need a new Family Y when we already have many other public and private fitness centres in the region?A. The Family Y has been serving our community since 1877 and the new Regional Recreation Centre will be the third Family Y facility to be built in response to changing community needs and with the support of the community. Surveys were undertaken to assess the need for a new Family Y and the support for it in the community. Based on this, and in conjunction with the City of Owen Sound, the Township of Georgian Bluffs, and the Municipality of Meaford, the vision for the new Regional Recreation Centre came into being. Other centres in our region work with their own client groups in their own ways. The Family Y’s approach is to work with people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and financial situations. As a charity, the Family Y fundraises to provide financial assistance so that low income is not a barrier for participation. Over the Y’s history, it has addressed and responded to the needs of people throughout the Grey and Bruce region. The new aquatic centre will also greatly improve public aquatic facilities in our area. Q. If the Regional Recreation Centre is being built with my tax money why will I have to buy a Y membership to access the Health Fitness Recreation Centre facilities?A. Tax money is being used to build the new facility. Once it is built the Family Y will be responsible for financing their operations without any subsidies from the City or surrounding municipalities. Just as it does with its current facility, the Family Y will operate the new facility on a break-even basis. There are different ways to participate at the Family Y: by registration in a program, by a drop-in day pass or by membership. The Family Y is a community based non-profit charity. As in the past, users of the arena portion of the facility will continue to contribute user fees either directly through the city or indirectly through local sports associations (i.e. minor hockey, figure staking, lacrosse, etc.). Q. What if I, or my family, cannot afford a Y membership?A. The Family Y will continue to fundraise and provide financial assistance to individuals and families that are unable to pay the fees. Q. Do all members of Council support the Regional Recreation Centre (RRC) and accept the financial risk involved? Q. What is this new Regional Recreation Centre going to do for the community? What are the benefits that we can expect?A. There are many benefits from this new Regional Recreation Centre (Centre): Q. Why aren't the surrounding municipalities contributing to the cost of the Regional Recreation Centre since many of their residents will be using it?A. Surrounding communities will be contributing to the cost of the Regional Recreation Centre through direct contributions to the project or through the fundraising campaign. If a municipality doesn’t provide direct capital support, residents of those communities may also be required to pay a user fee surcharge to offset the project costs. Q. Will my Family Y membership fees go up?A. Fees may need to increase minimally to ensure the new centre will break even financially. The Family Y undertook a market feasibility study that identified the membership fee that people in the community were willing to pay. Q. Where can we find information on the project as it progresses? A. There is a link on the City of Owen Sound’s website that is updated frequently. Q. How are the senior’s being accommodated?A. After the first public meeting regarding the new Recreation Centre, the City formed a committee made up exclusively of seniors to look at their recreational needs in the community. This group had several successful meetings and a new "McQuay Tannery Seniors Centre" has been established in the office building just east of the Bayshore Community Centre. The Centre is working on several initiatives which will provide and coordinate organized services and activities for seniors. The new Regional Recreation Centre will meet the needs of people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and financial situations. In fact, seniors form one of the largest user groups of the Family Y, with over 450 registered members. The new Regional Recreation Centre will do even more to keep the seniors in our community active and healthy. Q. What are the sizes of the arena dressing rooms?A. There are ten standard change rooms, two barrier free change rooms, a minority change room and a referee change room. The size of each of the ten standard change rooms are 485 ft2, barrier free change room #1 is 600 ft2, barrier free change room #2 is 540 ft2, the minority change room is 190 ft2, and the referee change room is 400 ft2. Standard change rooms will have 19 spaces for changing, barrier free change rooms #1 & 2 will have 22 spaces, the minority change room will have 5 spaces, and the referee change room will have 12 spaces. Each change room will include a toilet, sink and shower facilities as well as a rack for hockey sticks. Q. When will the facility be opened?A. Current construction schedule indicates that all work associated with the arena facility will be completed in November 2011 and the community centre portion by May 2012. Opening of the arena prior to the completion of the community centre may be possible but is subject to terms and conditions of the general contractor and the associated trades as well as terms and condition of the building code. These conditions will be focused upon life safety concerns, such as emergency exits, emergency lighting, and fire safety and suppression systems. In addition, areas where construction will be ongoing must be segregated and secured to ensure public cannot inadvertently or intentionally access areas of the building where construction activities are ongoing. As the project progresses a more finite timeline for partial and full opening of the facility will be determined and publicized.
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Architects
 Construction Management Team
 Contact InformationInquiries may be directed to the Phone: (519) 376-4440 City Manager - Executive Assistant, Mayor and City Manager’s Office - Sharon Edwards Location
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