Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau says he hopes to see construction commence on a proposed new multi-purpose recreational facility next year.
Charbonneau made the comments following a decision by Saugeen Shores council on June 13 to hire a consultant for the project design work, approving a $1.3-million contact to Salter Pilon Architecture Inc., in conjunction with Lett Architects.
The proposed wellness centre will include a six-lane, 25-metre pool, as well as a leisure pool, conditioning centre, walking track and gym. It would be built adjacent to The Plex in Port Elgin.
The consultant will put together a set of construction designs as well as organize a public consultation to finalize what the facility is going to look like, the Saugeen Shores mayor says.
Charbonneau would not speculate about the total cost of the facility, saying that would become clear once the design phase is completed.
“Our expectation is that when we consider the 2023 budget, then we will have a final cost at that point,” says Charbonneau.
Previous reports estimated the aquatics and wellness centre could cost somewhere in the range of $20-million to $30-million.
Charbonneau says this project has been many years in the works, as they have been discussing having a pool for over 15 years.
“We’re hoping to start construction early in 2023 and have the facility, a brand new aquatic centre and recreation facility open by late 2024, or at the latest early 2025,” says Charbonneau. “This is the first serious step in the design work.”
Meanwhile, Saugeen Shores council also approved spending $191,000 from the Legacy Fund Reserve to advance the design for phase two of the Lamont Sports Park, as well as retain Landscape Planning Limited for the work.
Currently, the plan for phase two of the Lamont Sports Park is to construct two youth baseball diamonds, an accessible playground, and other amenities.
Charbonneau says fundraising for the second phase of the sports park is still underway but expects it to conclude by early September.
“Once we have all the final figures in, in terms of how much money we have, we will have a precise idea of what we can build,” he says.