Regina city council passed an amendment Wednesday to form a committee to overlook the development of three different sports facilities.
The new committee will look at possible replacement and reuse of the Brandt Centre, a new aquatics facility to replace the Lawson Aquatic Centre and a new high performance baseball facility.
The committee will be co-chaired by Regina Exhibition Association (REAL) President and CEO Tim Reid and city councillor Bob Hawkins.
“I think it’s a committee which will help emphasize the synergies between all of these projects so that the group of projects, as they proceed over the next maybe 15 years, work together to strengthen the economy of our city, the recreational prospects of our city, and the culture of our city,” Mayor Sandra Masters said.
The trio of proposals if eventually approved will shape the future of the city’s core downtown.
“We’ve looked at a number of recreational projects, everything from a pool to an arena to a soccer field. So what we’re talking about here is long term planning that will transform and activate our downtown and that’s very exciting,” Masters said.
The committee will prepare recommendations about the three projects and other civic infrastructure projects, and report back by later this year.
The Lawson Aquatic Centre that was built in 1975 and opened in 1976. It will need a number of upgrades in order to extend its lifespan.
The report states that building a new facility would have a similar cost and as a result the report recommends the construction of a new facility going forward. With planning only at initial stages, the projected costs are estimated to be about $173 million with construction set to start in 2024.
REAL was asked to present an update on the potential replacement of The Brandt Centre, home of the Regina Pats and a multi-use arena for events like the Canadian Western Agribition.
Five different sites were potentially assessed by REAL and three were ultimately short-listed all of which are located in downtown Regina.
Constructing a new facility would not mean the Brandt Centre will shut down. REAL suggests that it be redeveloped along with the new construction.
The final topic of discussion that could reshape Regina’s downtown core is the potential multi-purpose outdoor facility with synthetic turf to compliment the need of a high-performance baseball field.
Details are not available yet but the ask from council on Wednesday is for $15,000 to fund a feasibility research into the project. The executive committee unanimously passed a motion to fund a feasibility study.
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