YMCA building new facility

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This article was published 17/08/2010 (5770 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Dood Cristall Family YMCA will be constructed as an entirely new facility, making the transition between old and new completely seamless, YMCA board of directors president Terry Parlow announced.

Parlow described the news as "historic" for downtown Brandon and recreation in the Wheat City during his presentation to Brandon City Council Monday evening.

"It’s a historic night because of the fact that there’s a lot of debate about the downtown," Parlow told the Sun. "There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of energy about the downtown as it is, but I think this facility … in the years to come, I think that’s going to be a piece … that will complete downtown development."

After waffling between building new and re-developing the existing facility, the decision to build new stood out as the most efficient and sustainable choice. The new facility will be constructed in the shadow of the existing building and once complete, operations will shift over entirely and the old facility will be demolished and transformed into parking.

"When we looked at the existing facility, there were a lot of deficiencies and drawbacks that were not going to be dealt with regards to the older facility," Parlow said.

"We weren’t going to be able to meet a lot of the (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, and also we would still have a lot of unused space."

Following Parlow’s presentation, council passed a memorandum of understanding that outlined the terms and conditions of the agreement between the YMCA and the city moving forward.

Council first passed an amendment to the document, however, to ensure the pool at the Sportsplex doesn’t remain open indefinitely following construction of the YMCA.

To avoid direct competition with the other city-owned pool as well as prolonged maintenance and repair costs to the aging facility, the amendment now stipulates the pool at the Sportsplex will be closed two months following the commissioning of the YMCA.

With the agreement carried, Parlow says the tendering and construction processes can forge ahead.

Shovels are expected to break ground on the $16.5-million facility by spring 2011, with a completion date targeted within the next two years.

Meanwhile, the "Strengthening Our Core" campaign is inching closer to its $5.6-million goal with $4.25 million raised to date. About $11.3 million has already been secured through federal, provincial and municipal contributions.

Named after the largest family donation to the project to date, the Dood Cristall Family YMCA is a 52,000-square-foot multi-use facility that will include a daycare with space for 40 children and Canada’s second-largest YMCA-run aquatics facility.

Second only to a YMCA pool in Kelowna, B.C., the facility has been designed to serve the community well into the future, Parlow said, adding that the design does incorporate space for expansion if necessary.

"We’d have to increase our population an enormous amount before we’re not meeting those needs," he said.

"(Being the second-largest aquatics facility run by a YMCA), I think that speaks volumes to how large this aquatics centre is going to be."