The recommended "campus" building design option for the new recreation complex. (Council agenda package/City of P.A

By Alison Sandstrom

Complex concerns

Council ponders recreation complex design

Jan 29, 2021 | 4:01 PM

Prince Albert city council is grappling with a disconnect between what members envisioned for the city’s new multi-million dollar recreation complex and what now appears to be on the table.

Earlier this month, architects presented the city’s politicians with various design options for the new facility. Some councillors balked at suggestions that in order to bring the project in close to its $60 million budget, seating in the arenas could be cut to 300 spectators each, and the pool reduced to six lanes from eight.

“What we had a vision of and what we got supplied is different,” Mayor Greg Dionne said during Tuesday’s management committee meeting.

To thrash out their concerns, councillors have been asked to submit their questions to the city manager, who will compile the answers and then present them at a closed-door meeting between council and senior administration.

“We’ll go through, what elements does council like about the preliminary design,” City Manager Jim Toye told paNOW. “What don’t you like, what elements do you absolutely have to have… if we’re going to add $2 million because we’re going to have more seats or whatever it might be, we’re going to have to find $2 million or we’re going to tax for it… we can come in on budget, but it’s with some tough decisions.”

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For his part, Dionne said he has questions about the proposed arena seating and pool size in the conceptual designs.

“We wanted one rink to seat 750, so why do we have two that seat 450, when 750 is the demand for the Mintos, the Bears?” Dionne told paNOW Friday. “And it’s just like the pool, we want eight lanes, well the consultant [architect] suggested six.”

Asked what happened between what the city administrators thought they could buy for $60 million and what the architects brought back, Dionne replied he didn’t know.

“That’s why we’re having the meeting,” he said. “We don’t know if it’s our advisory staff that took it off course or the consultant.”

As for why the meeting will not be public, when asked, Dionne said council can speak more freely and pointedly during in-camera strategic planning meetings.

“I find them more productive because you don’t have to pull any punches,” he said. “You can just get on with the meeting and move the project forward.”

Following the private gathering, the matter will come back to a public meeting for further discussion before council signs off on a preferred design option. Dionne noted facility user groups will also be consulted ahead of architects being given final approval to move ahead with the detailed design.

Dionne declined to offer a timeline of when council would have to settle on a design option in order to break ground on the project this fall as planned.

“We’re going to get it right. If that takes an extra three weeks, four weeks, that’s what it’s going to take,” he said. “We are not going to be held to any calendar, deadlines or anything like that, this is a big project for the city of P.A. and we’re going to build it the right way.”

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom