Soil, weather, intricate roof delay Markham's new community centre

Yorkregion.com
May 20, 2016
By Amanda Persico

Residents in the southeast area of Markham will have to wait another year before enjoying services at the state-of-the art southeast community centre and library.

The facility - at the southeast corner of Middlefield Road and 14th Avenue - was initially scheduled to open last fall, but now it’s not expected to open until June 2017.

The city hosted a ground breaking ceremony in 2013, said Councillor Logan Kanapathi, in whose ward the centre is located.

After the ground-breaking ceremony, the project was temporarily put on hold as a result of the December 2013 ice storm.

“Ever since, there has been a great expectation for this facility,” Kanapathi said. “Local youth who started high school are already graduating without seeing this facility. They have been waiting for this facility year after year.”

Now the centre will not be complete until June 2017 with city programing starting in the fall.

The city’s project manager, Gary Adamkowski agreed it’s not good news. “It’s like my golf swing, with a long trajectory.”

According to a city staff report discussed this week during general committee and again at council, construction is about three-quarters complete.