Plans to redevelop Oakville Arena and Trafalgar Park now include an outdoor rink, an accessible playground with shade structure, a fitness centre and a room in the new fire hall dedicated to fire safety education and heritage. Council approved $2,849,000 in additional funding at Monday night’s council meeting, bringing the total project budget to $41,044,000.
"Providing the facilities to help residents lead more healthy, engaged and active lives is a key part of our livable Oakville vision," said Mayor Rob Burton. "I'm proud to say the new Oakville Arena and Trafalgar Park will do all that and more. With the help of public input from Oakville residents we have developed plans for a truly dynamic community space."
The project will expand the existing Oakville Arena to a 65,500 square foot community centre while retaining the arena’s wooden roof trusses recognized as a heritage feature. The community centre will include an NHL-size ice pad, a seniors’ centre, public meeting space, fitness centre, full-size gymnasium, and an indoor running track. Trafalgar Park will feature a fully accessible playground with a shade structure, a double tennis court that will be converted into an artificial outdoor rink in the winter, and exterior washroom facilities.
The Fire Education and Heritage Room included in the new fire hall on the corner of Kerr and Rebecca Street will offer interactive displays, public education materials, historical artifacts along with a 1948 vintage pumper truck on display.
Of the additional $2,849,000 approved by Council, $994,000 will address a number of factors identified during the first phase of the project, known as validation. Since the original project budget of $38,195,000 was established in 2014, the town’s standards in energy management, storm water management and accessibility have changed. Those changes, along with current market conditions, the low Canadian dollar and expenses related to site remediation contributed to the budget increase.
“The validation phase of this project has been critical because it’s given us a deeper understanding of potential issues and how to address them in the most cost-effective way possible,” said Nicole Wolfe, manager of capital projects in the Facilities and Construction Management department. “Our team reviewed numerous options to identify efficiencies in order to drive down costs, and provide better value to the town.”
The fire hall is expected to open in November of 2017 and the arena and community centre are scheduled to open in the fall of 2018 to coincide with the start of the ice season.