HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-18-047 - Facility partnership with WRDSB in the Huron South AreaREPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: March 5, 2018
SUBMITTED BY: Mark Hildebrand, Director Community Programs and Services,
519-741-2200 ext. 7687
PREPARED BY: Mark Hildebrand, Director Community Programs and Services,
519-741-2200 ext. 7687
WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 4 and 5
DATE OF REPORT: February 19, 2018
REPORT NO.: CSD-18-047
SUBJECT: Facility Partnership with the Waterloo Region District School
Board in the Huron - Brigadoon area
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RECOMMENDATION:
for its future Tartan Avenue property to determine the feasibility of building a
joint school,community centre, child care and EarlyON family and child centre on
the property, and
That staff report back to a future meeting of the Community and Infrastructure
Services Committee with the results of the site fit study, including options for
funding community centre space, if results of the site fit show a community
centre can fit on the site.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
As part of the Council approved business plan (2016), staff was directed to investigate
and report back on a potential partnership opportunity for a joint school and community
centre in the Huron - Brigadoon community. An opportunity exists with theWaterloo
Region District School Board (WRDSB) to investigate a joint facility that would provide
the City with approximately 8,000 square feet of community centre space, attached to a
school child care and EarlyON family and child centre.Benefits of building this
community space in partnership with WRDSB include: i) possible savings on
construction costs; ii) the ability to leverage additional space (double gymnasium) for
community use after school hours, and iii) having community space available in the
Huron - Brigadoon area (which will grow significantly in the coming years) as early as
2020. This also satisfies current Provincial Places to Grow legislation that expects
public service facilities and public services to be co-located in community hubs and
integrated to promote cost-effectiveness, and for municipalities to collaborate and
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consult with service planning, funding and delivery sectors to facilitate the coordination
and planning of community hubs and other public service facilities.
The 2013 Leisure Facilities Master Plan Update did not consider building a community
centre in the Huron area and was therefore not recommended at that time. As a result,
this community space is not funded in the 10 year capital forecast and if pursued,
funding sources would have to be identified. Staff believes that a community centre in
the Huron - Brigadoon area will be identified as a need in the 2019 Leisure Facilities
Master Plan update.However, the WRDSB is interested in beginning detailed design at
this facility around April 2018 in order to meet their timelines for construction of a new
school in the area. As a result, if the City is interested in building a joint facility with
them, it cannot wait until the outcome of the next LFMP update, which will not come
before Council until early to mid 2019.
REPORT:
On February 13, 2017, the Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
considered CSD-17-013 and directed staff to investigate a potential partnership
opportunity with the Waterloo Region Catholic School Board (WCDSB) for a joint school
and community centre in the Huron-Brigadoon community. CSD-17-013 also indicated
that if 8,000 square feet could not be accommodated on the Catholic board site, staff
would make the same enquiry with the public school board,related to their property in
the area (further east).
WCDSB was contacted to investigate the possibility of adding approximately 8,000
square feet of space to their school at the Huron-Brigadoon site. Although the Board
was interested in a potential partnership, they determined that their site was too small to
accommodate the school, afamily and child centre, as well as a community center.
Staff also met with the Waterloo Regional District School Board (WRDSB) to investigate
the possibility of adding an 8,000 square foot community centre to the school at the
proposed Tartan Avenue site. WRDSB is proposing an elementary school, with classes
from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8, with the capacity of 591 students.Only recently
(January 2018) has funding from the Province for this school been announced.
Like the initial request to the Catholic School Board, theCity specified an interest in the
following dedicated spaces at the facility including:
A Single Gymnasium
A Multipurpose Room
Mid-sized Program Room
Appropriate dedicated storage for each room
Appropriate office spaces for staff, neighbourhood association and possible
partners
Dedicated lobby area and amenities.
WRDSB has treated this interest from the City as a priority request for a partnership,
along with the child care and EarlyON family and child centre,proposed at this site.
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Partnership Benefits
Staff believes that considering a partnership with WRDSB at this site has significant
benefits for the City and the surrounding neighbourhoods. The Board also recognizes
that cooperative and collaborative relationships between school boards and other
organizations are part of the foundation of a strong, vibrant and sustainable education
system. The two organizations recognize that facility partnerships can strengthen the
role of schools in communities, providing a place for programs and facilitating the
coordination of, and improving access to, services for the wider community.
The City already partners with both school boards in the joint use of facilities in our
community. For example, in the aquatics section, the City of Kitchener manages the
programs at Cameron Heights pool, which is part of the existing high school. Also,
Forest Heights Pool and the Kitchener Public Library are attached to Forest Heights
Collegiate Institute.Grand River Collegiate Institute similarly houses a Kitchener Public
Library that is in a long-term lease with the Board. A City arena shares the campus of
that school as well as oneat Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate Institute. In the Community
Centre section, Stanley Park Community Centre shares a triple gymnasium with St.
Anthony Daniels School. Finally, the Downtown Community Centre shares a facility
with the Catholic District School Board administration offices.Entering into these types
of partnerships permits school access to community programming, cost sharing
opportunities for facility maintenance and capital projects, and access to additional
spaces that otherwise would not be available to each partner.
Entertaining this partnership would allow the City of Kitchener and WRDSB to share
construction costs in a cooperative build. Although final cost per square foot has to be
confirmed by the Ministry of Education, the estimated cost for 8,000 square feet of
program space to the City, considering the
requirements,would be approximately $2,900,000. The estimate includes construction
costs, architect fees, furniture fixtures and equipment, a 20% contingency (please note
, and
harmonized sales tax.
For the same amount of area, if theCity were to build a stand-alone facility without the
school board, it is estimated that it would cost approximately $4,125,000. The following
factors contribute to the difference between the construction costs:
There are inherent economies of scale on the larger construction associated with
building schools, compared to community centres,
The board often uses a cloned footprint model for schools, so essentially they are
building similar designs on different sites, whereas the City does custom designs
for each facility,
Finishes and fixtures (e.g. millwork) is different at Community Centres than at
schools,
Additional costs are incurred as City of Kitchener also include a percent for art
component, and
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City of Kitchener looks to build to LEED specifications which can add 5-10% to
the cost of a project
In addition to sharing construction costs in a cooperative build, the benefits associated
with this partnership include the following:
1) Although the City would pay for 8,000 square feet of dedicated space, as a
partner in the school, we would likely be able to leverage our partnership to
ensure the community would also have access to additional space outside of
school operating hours, most significantly a double gymnasium.In essence,
during hours after school, the community could have access to 3 gymnasiums
(the size of Stanley Park).
It should be noted that any joint use of space would have to be negotiated
between the School Board, the EarlyON centre and City of Kitchener, and that
the site fit study does not guarantee commitment by either party until these items
have been resolved.
2) Creating community space on this site would allow the City to provide dedicated
space to the surrounding neighbourhoods and residents much sooner than we
would otherwise be able to.
The Rosenberg Secondary Plan for this area has already identified a community
centre for the mixed use area south of Huron Road and east of Fischer Hallman
Road (around this area). Also, the attached map (Appendix A) also shows a gap
in service / community centre coverage in this area (shown by the blue circle).
The proposed facility would service a population of approximately 10,900 people
currently;12,300 people in 10 years and growing to approximately 37,375 people
when the community is completely built out. This facility would be similar in size
to Centreville Chicopee Community Centre.
Partnering with the WRDSB could see this space opened and serving the
community by 2020. It typically takes around 18 months to 2 years to have a
school designed, tendered and constructed. As such, if the City of Kitchener is
interested in partnering at this site, WRDSB will require a firm commitment by
April 2018.
Site Fit Study
As indicated above, this site is also funded for a child care and EarlyON family and child
centre and therefore the school board is recommending that a site fit study be
completed prior to April to validate the ability to proceed with the program and space
requirements suggested for the site. Specifically, a site fit study looks at site constraints
such as topography, site plan requirements (e.g. setbacks, parking), andtests several
building footprints, including parking, accesses, and field layouts to determine best fit. In
this case, where there is the possibility of other partners, the Board will ask that possible
separation of uses in the building also be considered. The building footprint and its size
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will be dictated by the minimum number of uses requiring ground floor access. This
traditionally includes childcare, gym, administration and kindergarten spaces, and also
libraries. It could include other uses however, considering the needs of the partners.
Timing with LFMP
The usual process that would be followed to make a decision regarding the construction
of a community facility of this type includes:
completing the Leisure Facilities Master Plan Update, which identifies and
prioritizes future indoor and outdoor recreation facilities across the City.
Incorporating the results of that prioritization for future investment in recreation
facilities
(scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2019).
(which would include this facility) as part of the 2020 budget process (which
would be completed in early 2020).
This means that the usual process would not be completed until well past the WRDS
deadline for us to make a decision on this potential shared facility.
Despite not having the benefit of this usual process, staff is recommending the City
pursue this joint facility at this time in order to take advantage of the partnership
opportunity. Staff is confident that given growth projections and community need in the
area, additional community space in this area would be a recommendation of the next
LFMP.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
Strategic Priority: Safe and Thriving Neighbourhoods
Strategy: 3.6 Provide opportunities and support for citizens to lead the way
in
health, happiness and well-being by capitalizing on local community
assets such as community centres, pools, arenas, libraries, parks,
trails and other public spaces.
Strategic Action: # NB14 Huron Woods Community Centre Partnership
Explore the potential for a partnership with the school board for the
development of a community centre in the Huron Woods
Neighbourhood.
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Considering its current needs,the cost for 8,000 square feet of program space for The
City of Kitchener, if built in conjunction with the school, would be approximately
$2,900,000.
The WRDSB has asked the City to contribute 50 percent of the costs associated with
the site fit study, which are not expected to exceed $10,000.
Staff are recommending to report back to the April 30, 2018 Community and
Infrastructure Services meeting with funding options if the results of the site fit study
show that acommunity centre can fit with the school, child care and EarlyONfamily and
child centre on the site.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM
advance of the council / committee meeting.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Michael May, Deputy CAO Community Services
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Appendix A
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