The Town of Pelham is about to undertake a major project in the potential new Community Centre. The $37 million facility has spurred a great deal of debate, and will have a number of far-reaching repercussions over the next three decades. In an attempt to shed some light on the process, and to find out what works and what doesn’t, the Voice has reached out to Aldermen and Staff from other municipalities in and around Niagara that have recently completed similar projects. The Foundations of Community series will examine and compare costs and services, while taking a candid look at what has worked for other municipalities, and what, if anything, they would change given the opportunity.
This first installment focuses on the Peach King Centre in Grimsby.
At the turn of the century, Grimsby residents and council were facing a situation similar to Pelham. With two separate facilities, one of them very old and outdated, Council began exploring options for upgrading or replacing the older facility. Ultimately, the town decided to eliminate the old facility and replace it with a second ice pad ‘twinned’ to the more modern building.
“Looking at our options, we realised that renovations didn’t make a lot of sense in terms of the ongoing costs,” explained four-term Alderman Steve Berry. “When you build new you save on those costs and gain a lot of efficiencies.”
In 2004 that project got underway in conjunction with renovations to the library and art gallery. All three endeavors had a combined budget of $8.8 million. The total cost of the arena project was $5.2 million. Berry noted that through close community involvement and careful, thorough planning, the town was able to garner strong community support.
“It’s tax dollars,” said Berry. “You have to engage the community, explain how you’re going to pay for it, and then obviously try to keep the cost as low as possible. Looking back on it now, the biggest thing was explaining the operational savings in terms of twinning it up, and then the ongoing costs.”
The arena project included a second ice pad, 6 new dressing rooms, an auditorium, a board room, administration office(s), additional public washrooms, a remodelled/dedicated Jr C. Hockey Club dressing room, and additional refrigeration equipment.
The twin pad facility operates at an annual cost of $556 250. Berry is happy with how the project turned out, which seems to be a sentiment shared by the community. When asked to look back on what went right, he notes the advantages of an amalgamated facility: “Having everything in one area saves money and makes things easier.”
In terms of regrets, there are very few. “We sold the old property for too cheap; I would change what we sold that plot for,” he admits. “A walking facility would have also been good. I love the walking track in Lincoln.”
Last year, Grimsby finished paying off their facility and residents were treated to 5% decrease to the municipal levy.
Quick Facts:
Capital Cost: $5.2 million
Operating Costs: $550 000 per year
Municipal Tax Increase: 10% over 10 years
