Concept development and design will begin this spring and summer on a proposed aquatics centre to be built at the Energy Centre. City Council allocated $150,000 in the 2021 capital budget to commence with the planning and design process, which will also include stakeholder consultation and opportunities for residents to provide their input and feedback.
“A pool and aquatics centre is something that has been on our wish list for many years and it’s something the people of Cold Lake have told us that they want in their community,” said Mayor Craig Copeland. “This seed money allows us to bring in design and construction professionals and really come up with a plan for what this facility could be.”
City administration and council members have toured several aquatics centres in municipalities across the province to observe the different design trends and amenities, and better understand operational/maintenance considerations and service outage trends.
Following the necessary procurement process, the City expects to appoint an architect in the coming months to begin the engineering work.
“The Energy Centre was designed and built from day one with the idea that it could be expanded upon,” explains Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Nagoya. “We’ve already seen two phases of expansion, which added the two arenas, the climbing wall, lounge and other amenities. Since the inception of the Energy Centre Master Plan, we’ve known that a pool and other amenities such as a performing arts theatre, would likely be added at some point in the future, so the footprint of the building and the wide concourses were designed with that in mind.”
This focused design and planning process will provide the City with a more detailed cost breakdown for the project, construction timelines and operational considerations. The next City Council (to be elected in October 2021) will then weigh the project against other funding priorities and determine when it will move forward to the construction phase.
“This is a very exciting project and it’s something we are constantly hearing from our residents,” says Copeland. “This initial design process is a great first step, and it will give us a roadmap we can hand off to the next Council term to show what is possible, so they can make the best decision for the people of this community.”
Release from the City of Cold Lake