Top 10 facts to know about King's planned recreation centre

Yorkregion.com
June 19, 2023

A new recreation centre is under construction on 25 acres at the southeast corner of the King Campus of Seneca College.

Seneca and King Township have signed a 99-year lease agreement for the land.

The project is designed to open as a carbon-zero facility. This, combined with the closure of the existing arena facility, accounts for a 10 per cent or more reduction in greenhouse gas output for the township.

As work of this project ramps up, we thought readers deserve a reminder of what this recreational project is all about. Here are 10 things you should know:

1) CONTENTS: The new recreation centre in King will include a fully accessible recreation complex with a lap pool, ice surfaces, athletic field house and a multi-purpose room.

2) LOCATION: The centre is at 15th Sideroad and Dufferin Street. It will be accessible from 15th Sideroad.

3) INVESTMENT: In May 2021, the federal government announced it is investing more than $21.1 million into King’s township-wide recreation centre project through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The provincial government is providing more than $17.6 million.

4) CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT: In June 2022, the township approved a tender in the amount of $73.2 million from JR Certus Construction Co. Ltd. and a total project cost of $86 million to respond to rising inflation.

5) LOCAL FUNDING: The centre’s budget is funded from municipal reserves. The township is exploring opportunities to replenish the funds through channels that could include the sale of surplus lands, additional developer contributions and naming rights and sponsorship of the facility.

6) FUTURE AMENITIES: The multi-use field house could include future amenities such as baseball and soccer fields.

7) BACKGROUND: The recreation centre design was based on public input gathered as part of the 2019 facility services master plan.

8) WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE SITE? Work includes pool and rink construction, structural steel fabrication and delivery, mechanical rough-in of plumbing, HVAC, and electrical rough-in of material, equipment and fixtures.

9) COMPLETION: The complex is scheduled to be finished in the summer/fall of 2024.

10) ON TRACK: The project’s work, budget, and schedule are all on track, according to a King Township press release.

To see the most current progress, visit king.ca/majorprojects. For a project overview, visit king.ca/townshipwiderecreationcentre.