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Lack of land in south Barrie stalling new $190M community centre, library

'Timelines have been removed. It’s something the city has been working on for a decade,' says Ward 10 councillor; facility to include twin ice-pad arena and pool
2022-03-30 Peggy Hill Team Community Centre RB 1
The proposed Hewitt’s Community Centre and Library is based on the Holly Community Centre model, now named the Peggy Hill Team Community Centre.

South-east Barrie residents shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for the Hewitt’s Community Centre and Library to be built.

While it’s highlighted in the city’s 2025 capital plan, the proposed $190.75-million facility will still be in the pre-design/design stage next year.

“Are we going to continue to see, for the next decade, this being in the pre-design/design phase?” Coun. Bryn Hamilton asked at a recent finance and good governance committee meeting.

“Timelines have been removed," she added. “It’s something the city has been working on for a decade."

Barrie staff said Nov. 27 the city doesn’t own the land on which this community centre would be built. Until that happens, the project can’t get out of the pre-design/design phase.

Based on the 2019-2028 capital plan, the project’s construction timeline was at one point adjusted to a 2023 start and 2025 completion, but these timelines have been moved forward.

Mayor Alex Nuttall has noted this community centre has been a city commitment for nearly a quarter-century, dating back to the recreation master plan in 1999 or 2000.

No location has been identified, but Hamilton represents Ward 10 in south-east Barrie and it’s to be located there to meet future residential growth in the area.

What is known is Hewitt’s Community Centre and Library is to have a total size of 239,946 square feet, according to a city status update memo from June 11, 2019. That would break down to 224,554 sq. ft. for recreation and 15,392 sq. ft. for the library branch.

It would include a twin ice-pad arena, a 10-lane, 25-metre pool as well as a leisure pool and therapy pool, a fitness centre, a gymnasium, a library, multi-purpose rooms, rental or partner space, support and amenity spaces, and outdoor spaces such as a soccer field, tennis/pickleball courts, basketball courts, a splash pad, a playground and a skate park.

The facility is to be based on the Holly Community Centre model, now named the Peggy Hill Team Community Centre, on Mapleton Avenue.

The 2025 capital project detail report shows the bulk of the facility’s expenditures spent between 2026 and 2029 — $50 million in both 2027 and 2028, $30 million in 2026 and $20 million in 2029.

The majority of the facility would be funded from development charges (DCs) reserves — almost $174 million.

DCs are designed to recover the capital costs associated with residential and non-residential (commercial, industrial, institutional) growth within a municipality from developers, so that existing residents don’t have to foot the bill. 

The remainder of the funding would come from the cash in lieu of parkland reserve, almost $16.8 million, and the remainder from the city’s tax capital reserve.

Barrie city council’s 2025 capital budget, along with its operating budget, is scheduled for final approval on Jan. 29.