A conceptual design option presented to council in January. Council has not approved a preferred design option yet. (Council agenda package/City of P.A.)

By Alison Sandstrom

Major project

Mayor says ‘public will be happy’ with updated rec complex design

Mar 16, 2021 | 8:00 AM

Mayor Greg Dionne says council plans to approve the conceptual design of Prince Albert’s new multi-million dollar recreation complex this month.

“It’s coming [to a council meeting] right away because we’ve got to get things moving,” Dionne told paNOW, when asked for an update on the project. “We want to get ‘er done this month.”

The mayor said he anticipates the matter will be on the agenda for the executive committee meeting on Monday March 22.

Councillors were initially concerned conceptual designs presented by the project’s architects in January didn’t meet their expectations.

Since then, the city’s politicians and administration have met privately to discuss options.

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Dionne declined to provide details on the results of those meetings at this time, but offered some reassurance.

“Unfortunately I can’t tell you until the meeting on the 22nd,” he said. “But the public will be happy, we did respond to what the public wanted.”

The city is now several months behind the project’s proposed timeline. Tender documents and the public presentation given by the project’s architects suggested the conceptual design would be approved in December, with work on the detailed design starting in January.

However, Dionne said that delay won’t impact plans to break ground on the complex this fall.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom