The city of Kelowna is looking to build a new Parkinson Recreation Centre campus and it’s asking for the public’s opinion on what the new facility should include.
Kelowna’s Parkinson Recreation Centre (PRC), first opened in 1972 and over the years the facility has been upgraded to keep up with demand. The PRC is reaching the end of its service life and with the growing population, the city has decided to build a new recreation campus instead of renovating the old one.
The city is still in the planning stages for the campus and is looking for the public’s input before the designs become final.
“What we’re doing at the moment is meeting with the public to hear what the public’s aspiration is. We’ve got a basic functional program, we really want to know some of the details as to what type of spaces people want to see,” said Robert Parlane, parks and buildings planning manager for the city of Kelowna.
The city held the first open house on June 9 and has a survey available online.
The goal for the new facility is to be inclusive for everyone.
“I’ve been in a chair now for 50 years and for me it’s a lot about accessibility,” said Paul Clark, who has been going to the PRC for 25 years for various activities such as wheelchair basketball.
Clark said it’s difficult to push up the centre’s ramp, especially when he’s transporting his basketball chair. Clark wanted to share his feedback to ensure a proper space is created.
“Make sure that things are designed well so they can be used by those that use chairs and other disabled. It’s not just the disabled, it’s other people who are maybe not able to function in the same way as a normal able-bodied individual.”
The city is building the new campus near the current centre as it’s in a central location and close to local transportation. It is asking residents what amenities they would be interested in, such as a new aquatic centre and gyms. For local pickleball players, the new campus will have a big impact on their courts.
“We would like to have a vision for a hybrid indoor-outdoor facility because on days like today, when it’s raining, we have nothing to do,” said local resident Carly Penfold. “We love to play every day.”
The survey will be accessible until June 26.
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