HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-2025-250 - Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex (KIRC) Operating ModelStaff Report
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Community Services Department www. kitchen er.ca
REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: June 16, 2025
SUBMITTED BY: Bob Cheyne, Director, Sport Division
PREPARED BY: Christine Baker, Manager, Customer Experience and Solutions
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: June 6, 2025
REPORT NO.: CSD -2025-250
SUBJECT: Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex (KIRC) Operating Model
RECOMMENDATION:
That the service -focused operating model (staffing and financials) outlined in CSD -
2025 -250 be approved for the Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex (KIRC) to ensure
the facility is able to meet the City's growing recreation needs, attract major
tournament and events and, provide a positive experience for the facility users; and
That the anticipated operating impacts of the KIRC operating model (staffing and
financials) be incorporated into the 2026 and 2027 budgets.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
• Currently under construction and anticipated to open in 2026, the Kitchener Indoor
Recreation Complex (KIRC) will be the premier indoor recreation facility in Waterloo
region and one of the best indoor turf facilities in Ontario. The facility will include a FIFA -
sized indoor turf, a world-class aquatic centre with two pools, a quad gymnasium, two
cricket practice nets, a walking track and several multi-purpose rooms.
• This multi -sport facility has been thoughtfully designed to meet the increasingly diverse
sport and recreation needs of Kitchener residents, balancing competitive sport
opportunities with affordable, community-based programming.
• The facility will be open to the public seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to midnight.
• The City is committed to ensuring a positive user experience and is proposing an
operating model that will ensure KIRC is welcoming, clean, safe and easy to navigate.
• The proposed staffing model is focused on providing a positive user experiences, allows
flexibility to adapt to peak usage times, and includes dedicated expertise in planning and
hosting major tournaments and events that will benefit the local business community.
• The staffing model is built on three connected teams working together and supported by
experts from other areas of the organization, to ensure a positive user experience.
• A provision was made for the operating costs of KIRC through the budget planning
process and the proposed operating budget for the facility aligns with original estimates.
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• The financial model shows that there will be no direct impact on existing taxpayers as
the costs of the facility will be fully covered by user fees and anticipated assessment
growth, which is expected to be sufficient to cover not only KIRC operating impacts in
2026 and 2027, but also address other known operating budget growth related pressures
BACKGROUND:
In recent years City Council approved construction of the Kitchener Indoor Recreation
Complex (KIRC) which includes the following amenities:
• An indoor turf that is divisible into four individual fields
• An aquatic centre featuring an 8 -lane competitive pool and a large leisure pool
• A quad gymnasium
• Two cricket practice nets
• An elevated walking track
As the City's first net -zero carbon building, this facility exemplifies innovative, sustainable
design and a commitment to a greener future. Set to open in the third quarter of 2026, KIRC
is expected to attract more than 570,000 annual visits, including an estimated 100,000
event -related visits from out-of-town coaches, event officials and spectators in its first full
year of operation.
A first of its kind for the City, the KIRC's diverse amenities make it unlike any other City
facility in terms of operation and staffing. While most City facilities generally offer a single
amenity (e.g., arena, pool, community centre), the KIRC's offerings require a unique and
complex staffing model to support a seamless integration of multiple amenities in one facility
— while ensuring users enjoy a positive experience in the facility.
REPORT:
The KIRC operating model is generally made up of two major components — the staffing
model and the annual operating budget.
In order to develop the recommended staffing model, staff undertook the following activities:
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Action taken
Key takeaways
Reviewed staffing models at City of
Identified City best practices, specifically
Kitchener facilities including pools,
as it related to coordination between
1
arenas, and community centres with a
service areas to support facility
focus on the most comparable facilities -
maintenance and operations.
The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium and
Breithau t Community Centre.
Reviewed staffing models at similar
Provided significant insight into the
facilities from 7 municipalities, including
management of complex multi -sport
facilities in Brantford, London, Markham,
recreation facilities using either
2
Mississauga, Thunder Bay, Vaughan,
centralized or de -centralized models.
and Waterloo. The analysis included
reviewing organizational charts, job
descriptions, and interviews with facility
management.
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Facility Usage Mapping:
The facility is expected to be open to the public from 7 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week,
with the possibility of extended morning hours to support seasonal training.
In order to determine appropriate staffing levels, staff reviewed usage of similar facilities and
leveraged the City's anticipated programming strategy to identify amenity and overall facility
usage throughout the day. Based on this analysis, staff anticipate that the facility will be
busiest from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
Below is an example of the analysis of facility usage by amenity where 1=light usage,
2=moderate usage, 3=peak usage and X= no significant usage expected.
5 67 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
a.m a.m a.m a.m a.m 10 11 no p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m 10 11
M -F School year a.m. a.m. on p.m. p.m.
Interviewed 12 City staff currently
These conversations underscored the
involved in the operation of existing City
importance of coordination between
Facility total
of Kitchener facilities to understand
teams responsible for programming and
/„ �
staffing needs for sport and program
amenity changeovers/set-up.
3
delivery, maintenance and facilities
X
management.
Provided valuable insights into customer
Cricket
X
service staffing requirements based on
X
amenity and peak usage at other City
Gym
X
facilities.
Pool
Developed a strategy and estimated
Was critical in determining the staffing
schedule for all amenities to assist in
levels required to serve customers and
4
identifying peak hours (see graphic
support the efficient set-up and take -
X
below) and the associated staffing needs
down of programming spaces to
to support expected programming,
accommodate various activities at peak
X
rentals and events.
and off-peak facility usage times.
Developed guiding principles to help
Ensured alignment to a singular vision for
steer staffing decisions and ensure that
staffing when discussing roles,
5
the proposed staffing model supported
responsibilities, requirements, etc. This
the overall vision for the facility. See
included stakeholders from teams across
staffing guiding principles below.
the organization involved in staffing
and/or supporting the KIRC operations.
Facility Usage Mapping:
The facility is expected to be open to the public from 7 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week,
with the possibility of extended morning hours to support seasonal training.
In order to determine appropriate staffing levels, staff reviewed usage of similar facilities and
leveraged the City's anticipated programming strategy to identify amenity and overall facility
usage throughout the day. Based on this analysis, staff anticipate that the facility will be
busiest from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
Below is an example of the analysis of facility usage by amenity where 1=light usage,
2=moderate usage, 3=peak usage and X= no significant usage expected.
5 67 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
a.m a.m a.m a.m a.m 10 11 no p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m p.m 10 11
M -F School year a.m. a.m. on p.m. p.m.
KIRC Staffing Guiding Principles
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Facility total
/„ �
7
1
Turf
X
X
Cricket
X
X
X
Gym
X
X
Pool
Multi-purpose
rooms
X
X
X
2
Walking track
X
X
Viewing galleries
(custodial)
X
X
X
X
KIRC Staffing Guiding Principles
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As noted above, as part of the process of developing the KIRC staffing model, a series of
guiding principles (see below) were developed to guide the decision-making process:
Commitment to Customer Service: The staffing model will support a high level of
customer service to meet community needs, as well as plan for and host tournaments
and other events.
A Team Approach: The staffing model will support a cohesive and aligned team
approach to operating KIRC. This team approach will support the implementation of a
shared vision for the facility, a common customer service philosophy and a team -based
workplace culture that fosters pride and accountability.
Connection Between Programs/Rentals and Setup/Take-Down: The staffing model
will support a positive user experience by creating a close connection between programs
and rentals at the facility, and our ability to prepare and transition facility spaces for
various programs and individual uses in a timely and effective manner.
Flexibility to Meet Peak User Hours: The staffing model will provide capacity to increase
staffing levels in vital service and support roles during peak hours, when the highest
number of users are present.
Flexibility Within Roles: The staffing model will create flexibility within roles to allow
staff to complete a broad range of duties depending on the needs of facility users.
The staffing model guiding principles are addressed through the proposed staffing model:
Guiding Principle
How this is addressed through the staffing model
Commitment to
The staffing model includes frontline customer service staff who
Customer Service
will not only serve customers at our reception desk, checking
them in for swims or registering them for programs, but will act
as greeters during peak hours, replicating our successful and
well-received City Hall greeter model.
A Team Approach
The staffing model allows for the KIRC team and coordinated
teams within the organization to work together to most efficiently
meet the needs of the facility, while remaining aligned with the
KIRC facility vision and its strongly commitment to customer
service and the user experience.
Connection Between
Including the staff responsible for programming and the staff
Programs/Rentals and
responsible for setting up the different amenities within the
Setup/Take-Down
same team structure allows for streamlined communication and
an ability to easily adapt to changing needs and unexpected
changes as they arise.
Flexibility to Meet Peak
The staffing model provides flexibility to ramp up part-time
User Hours
staffing levels at times of higher facility usage and adjust
accordingly when fewer staff are required onsite, while ensuring
that the facility remains safe, clean and well maintained.
Flexibility Within Roles
Wherever possible, roles have been designed to allow flexibility
to support others within the facility so that staff are able to
respond to demands as they arise.
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Unique staffing model
The KIRC is unlike any other facility the City operates. Staff have done considerable work
to project staffing needs, however it is anticipated that some adjustments may need to be
made once the facility is operational. The proposed staffing model has been designed to
allow flexibility to adapt and adjust to the operational requirements of the building.
The proposed staffing model includes 21 FTEs, as well as part-time and 9000 series staff
working in three teams, each with clearly defined objectives that will contribute to a
welcoming, safe, clean and well -programmed space for the community. Together, these
teams will provide robust and diverse programming for all ages, drop-in programs, sports -
themed summer camps, premier amenities for competitive training and recreational
opportunities alike, as well as brining tournaments and events to the community.
Coordinated Support
(6 FTE)
Working In a coordinated effort, staff �
from INS and CSU will support. KIRC
operations.
Aquatics Team
(2 FTE+60,000 hours PT)
Providesthoughtfully designed
aquaticsprogramming including
meets and events„ and oversees
day-to-day pool . operations„ in a
safe and friendly environment.
Director, Sport division
Manager (1)
Customer Experience Team
(6 FTE + 22,000 hours PT)
Provides a welcoming experience
to all visitors. Facilitates seamless.
access to programs and amenities
In a clean, welcoming, and well-
maintained environment.
Events and Bookings Team
(6 FTE)
Ensure the facility Is fully utilized by
facilitating facility rentals, events,
tournarnents and affiliate offerings,
ensuring diverse programming for
the turf, gyro, and multi -(purpose
spaces to meet Community needs.
Aquatics Team:
In addition to supporting day-to-day activities and providing a robust programming schedule,
the Aquatics team support swimming tournaments and events. Staff have leveraged the
existing Aquatics staffing model for KIRC, adjusting the number of 9000 series staff (guards,
instructors, and assistants) to account for the scale and projected programming.
The KIRC Aquatics team would be made up of the following positions:
• Supervisor, Aquatics (1)
• Aquatics Coordinator (1)
• Head Guards (9000 series)
• Lifeguards (9000 series)
• Aqua Fitness Instructors (9000 series)
• Aquatics Assistants (9000 series)
Customer Experience Team:
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The Customer Experience team will ensure that customers are met with a great experience
with friendly staff, that amenities are safe, well maintained and changed over throughout the
day to support a variety of programs, and that the facility is clean.
Staff completed very in-depth programming projections to determine peak times for the
facility and each amenity to determine when increased staffing levels would be required to
support peak usage and meet customer service and facility changeover needs.
The KIRC Customer Experience team would be made up of the following positions:
• Supervisor, Customer Experience (1)
• Customer Service Associate (2)
• Building Attendant (3)
• Customer Service Attendant (9000 series)
• Building Attendant (9000 series)
Events and Bookings Team:
This team will ensure that the facility is fully utilized by promoting and attracting events,
tournaments, and affiliate programs. They will also ensure diverse programming for all KIRC
amenities, including the gyms, turf, pools, and multi-purpose rooms. The KIRC Events and
Bookings team would be made up of the following positions:
• Supervisor, Programs and Rentals (1)
• Sport and Recreation Programmer (1)
• Facility Scheduler (1)
• Sport and Recreation Event Associate (1)
• Finance and Admin Coordinator (1)
• Marketing Associate (1)
Coordinated Support:
Staff identified a number of positions that are required to expand the capacity of several
teams across the corporation to support the operations of KIRC. While these positions are
not specifically included in the KIRC organizational structure, they are necessary to its
operations, and to support other vital City facilities and programs. Coordination of the work
for these roles will be the responsibility of their respective managers and KIRC management.
These positions include:
• Building Operator (Facilities Management) (1)
• Building HVAC (Facilities Management) (1)
• Facility Operator Aquatics (Facilities Management) (1)
• Building Maintenance Generalist (Facilities Management) (1)
• Recreation Program Coordinator (Neighbourhood Programs & Services) (1)
• Outdoor amenity support (Parks & Cemeteries) (1)
• Program instructors, camp staff, youth drop-in staff (9000 series)
This staffing model supports 200 weekly summer and March break camps spots that will be
specifically designed as sport -theme experiences for participants.
The KIRC staffing model will be supported by contracted services where it provides
efficiencies.
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Expected staff start dates
It is staff's intention to begin recruitment for the KIRC management team as soon as possible
with the expectation that they will be in place by fall 2025. This will allow them to be involved
in the hiring, onboarding and preparation of their teams. The following are the proposed start
dates (recognizing some of these dates will likely shift once the management team has been
brought onboard) for all staff in the KIRC staffing model.
All KIRC management
October 2025
Aquatics team
May — September 2026
Customer Experience team
July — August 2026
Events and Bookings team
January — April 2026
Instructors, camp staff, inclusion workers
September 2026 — March 2027
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Capital Budget
The 10 -year capital forecast for the KIRC will be established through the 2026 Operating
Budget. The increased reserve contributions required to fund the capital forecast are
included in the operating budget details below.
Operating Budget
Final decisions on funding for the KIRC operating model will be finalized through the 2026
budget process and will reflect Council's decision on staffing and operational needs for the
facility. A provision was made for KIRC operating impacts through the budget planning
process, and the proposed operating budget for the facility aligns with original estimates.
Costs for the KIRC will be significantly offset by user fee revenues generated through
programs, rentals, and events at the facility, but like other recreation facilities at the City,
there will be some residual costs that are not fully recovered by user fees and would
represent an impact to the tax supported operating budget. Staff's initial estimate is this
impact is in the range of 1 %, which is less than annual assessment growth of 1.5% to 2.0%.
This means that there will be no direct impact on existing taxpayers as the costs of the
facility will be fully covered by user fees and anticipated assessment growth. Assessment
growth is expected to be sufficient to cover not only KIRC operating impacts in 2026 and
2027, but also address other known operating budget growth related pressures. Staff have
been planning for these impacts when developing the operating and financial model for
KIRC and will incorporate these impacts into the 2026 and 2027 budget, with the
commitment to continue to maintain Council's direction towards reasonable tax rate
increases.
Operating Expenditures
Several divisions within the City of Kitchener will contribute to the KIRC and therefore will
incur increases to their operating budget. These divisions include Sport, Facilities
Management, Parks & Cemeteries, Roads & Traffic, and Neighbourhood Programs &
Services.
The largest single operating expense for the KIRC is staffing at an estimated annual cost of
$5.4M. This includes the salaries, wages and benefits for all full-time, part-time, and
occasional staff. It is anticipated that all staffing costs will be offset by user fee revenues
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generated by the KIRC once the facility is fully operational. In advance of the facility opening,
some staff positions will need to be hired in late 2025 and early 2026 to ensure a smooth
transition from construction of the facility to program delivery. These staffing costs will be
covered within existing operating budget where possible, and the Tax Stabilization Reserve
Fund (TSRF) will be used to offset any large variance due to the timing of expenses and the
delay in when user fee revenue can be charged, once the facility is fully operational and
open to the public for use.
In addition to staffing costs, there are also other operating costs related to materials (e.g.
pool chemicals, cleaning supplies), contracted services, utilities, and equipment charges.
Combined these costs are estimated at more than $2.7M annually and are required to
properly operate and maintain the facility. Some of these costs will not be offset by user fee
revenues generated by the KIRC but will be covered by anticipated assessment growth
The table below outlines the proposed impacts of KIRC on the 2026 and 2027 Operating
Budget. The Annual Operating Budget for KIRC, once the facility is fully operational, is
expected to be approximately $8.2M, with user fees and other revenue generating $6.4M,
for annual net operating budget impact of $1.8M.
Annual Operating Impact
$000's
2026 Impact
2027 Impact
Cumulative
Budget Impact
Revenue:
User Fees
1,411
4,521
5,932
Other Revenue
84
165
249
Solar Roof Revenue
87
125
212
Total Revenue
1,582
4,811
6,393
Expenditures:
Staffing Model
2,709
2,703
5,412
Materials & Services
1,015
909
1,924
Utilities
201
292
493
Contributions to Capital
200
0
200
Other Expenses
138
27
165
Total Expenditures
4,263
3,930
8,193
Transfer to/(from) Tax
Stabilization Reserve Fund
(1,181)
1,181
0
Net Operating Impact*
1QQ
1
*The $1.5 Net Operating Budget Impact in 2026 represents less than a 1% property tax
increase, and is expected to be fully covered by anticipated assessment growth.
Operating Revenues
Staff have conducted a very comprehensive exercise to estimate total revenues at the KIRC
and believe they will be over $6M annually. This is predominantly user fee revenues from
programs, rentals, and events. In addition, the KIRC will also benefit from sponsorship
revenue from our corporate community partnerships. Sponsorship revenue will be utilized
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to make future additional investments to facility improvements and support future capital
expenditures that may be required for the KIRC.
To develop comprehensive revenue projections, staff undertook extensive benchmarking
and engagement across multiple municipalities and facility types, both within and beyond
the Waterloo region. This research included site visits, robust analysis of fee structures, and
conversations with staff from other facilities to discuss user groups, rental rates, and affiliate
discount structures across all amenities.
Valuable benchmarking information was also gathered through the Central Ontario Network
of Municipal Facility Managers, and through local collaboration with the City of Cambridge
and the City of Guelph who are both currently developing new indoor recreation complexes.
The table below summarizes the number of facilities reviewed by staff based on the KIRC
amenity type.
Amenity
Facilities Reviewed
Gymnasiums
6
Indoor turf
9
Cricket practice nets
4
Pool revenue projections were based on existing City of Kitchener aquatic facilities and
programming, scaled for KIRC. Based on this research, staff developed pricing strategy
guiding principles noted below:
User Fees Pricing Strategy — Guiding Principles
The indoor turf and quad gymnasium at KIRC will be premier sport amenities within Waterloo
region and will therefore have a unique pricing strategy for the facility that will help offset
some of the higher facility operating costs. This strategy will minimize the financial impact
operating the facility will have on Kitchener taxpayers by putting more of those costs on the
facility users themselves.
1. The aquatics centre and multi-purpose rooms at KIRC will be priced in line with
aquatics fees and room rental fees charged at similar City facilities.
2. The standard rental fee for the indoor turf and gym will be higher than fees charged
at other recreation facilities in Waterloo region recognizing they are premier sport
amenities and come with higher operating costs, and higher demand.
3. Affiliated youth sport groups (must be not-for-profit) will be charged less than the
standard rental rate in order to help promote participation in youth sport, encourage
active living, and provide opportunities for positive social connections with others.
4. Community-based sport organizations that provide reoccurring adult and youth
programming at KIRC will charge a fee that is lower than the standard rental rate, but
higher than the youth affiliate rate.
5. Rental fees for out-of-town bookings of the indoor turf and quad gymnasium will be
the highest at the facility. This pricing strategy will help deter too many out-of-town
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rentals that would travel to KIRC from outside of the region (if the fees were set too
low) and limit the local community's access to these sport amenities.
These revenue projections are ambitious, and it is expected that they will not all be achieved
in the first year of operation. Based on research and analysis of similar facilities, staff expect
programming and related revenues to grow at KIRC over a period of several years. To
better understand expected use of the facility, staff have begun the process of engaging
user groups to discuss expected facility usage and potential user fees. Decisions regarding
the user fees to be charged will by made by City Council as part of the annual budget
process later this year.
Potential Variances
The KIRC is one of largest and most complex facilities the City has ever built and operated,
so it is quite likely some of the estimates and assumptions made during the comprehensive
planning process will need to be adjusted as we gain experience with the facility open and
operating. In the case that financial assumptions come in lower than projected, the resulting
deficits will be offset by the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund (TSRF) which is specifically
created to offset deficits in tax supported program areas.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of
the council / committee meeting.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
• CSD -2025-237 - Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex: Design and Operational
Update
• CSD -2025-044 - Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex - Gymnasium Update
• FIN -2024-411 - Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund - Kitchener
Indoor Recreation Complex Gymnasium
• INS -2024-126 - Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex
APPROVED BY: MICHAEL MAY, DEPUTY CAO
DENISE MCGOLDRICK, GENERAL MANAGER (INS)
JONATHAN LAUTENBACH, CFO
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