A “desperately” needed replacement for the Queen’s Park Arenex is aiming to open in late 2019.
Last June, city council approved the development of a 24,000-square-foot multiple sports facility in Queen’s Park, but it’s had to scale back the size of the structure that consists of a fabric membrane over a rigid frame. Most of the funding for the $4.3-million facility will come from insurance proceeds from the Arenex, which collapsed under the weight of snow on Dec. 19, 2016.
While the city had hoped the facility would be operational by fall 2018, the previous submissions exceeded the available budget and stalled the project. After meeting with proponents to understand the cost drivers for the project and to determine what changes needed to be made in order to accommodate Arenex programs and stay on budget, staff determined the size of the facility needed to be reduced.
Jay Young, the city’s manager of recreation services, said the Arenex was 14,000 square feet and the plan now calls for a facility of the same size.
“We need it to be the size of the Arenex in order to host Arenex programs,” he said. “It’s too early to know what the design is and what the program schedule is, but it will, for all intents and purposes, operate as the Arenex did.”
On June 11, council received a staff report about the Arenex replacement that outlines a process that’s expected to last 18 months. Staff is currently preparing a request for proposals for design services, which will be followed by a request for proposals for a construction manager, awarding the contract, and construction.
“We are looking at an anticipated completion date of end of year 2019,” Young said. “The goal is to get our programs back operating.”
Terry Atherton, the city’s manager of civic buildings and properties, said the city will expedite the project if possible, but this looks like it’s the most realistic timeline.
“I would like to make sure that we really stay on top of this one. I think the public, the community, is waiting desperately for this facility to come back online,” said Coun. Mary Trentadue. “I would like to make sure we do everything within our power to make it happen within that timeframe, if not sooner. If there are any challenges, council really should know as quickly as possible.”
Prior to its collapse, the Arenex was home to a variety of programs including gymnastics, trampoline, children's drop-ins, badminton, indoor soccer, volleyball, ball hockey, basketball and pickleball. While some groups hve struggled to find new homes, others have found new venues – but in some case those are temporary or don’t allow them to run at full capacity.
Last month, participants in the gymnastics and trampoline programs that were offered at the Arenex urged city council to build the replacement facility as soon as possible. A staff report said city officials continue to search for locations for all Arenex programs but haven’t secured alternate venues to date.
“We need a home,” he said. “This will, as quickly as possible, provide a home for the Arenex programs.”
Once built, Young said the structure could contribute to the community for many years to come as they’ve been known to last for up to 40 years. While the city has yet to determine whether any of the Arenex programs will move into the new aquatic and community centre that’s currently being planned, he said the Arenex replacement will be well used.
“This is not a five-year building,” he said. “From the sporting standpoint, since the Arenex went down we have noticed such a void of sporting space. This building, no matter what happens with gymnastics and trampoline, will fill a much-needed void for our community. Whether it’s sports or whether it’s gymnastics, we will find out.”
