The Huntsville Curling Club executive told members of Huntsville’s General Committee on Wednesday that they are ready to proceed with plans to move from their current facility to a new one at McCulley Robertson Recreation Park. They also told committee they want the town to partner in the project.
“We have an eager group,” consultant Mark Inglis of York Urbanist told committee, “and it’s not just curlers. We have interest from baseball, soccer, basketball, and even archery and badminton.”
The proposal would see the construction of a multi-use sports facility. The curling club would be responsible for the financing and maintenance of the six-rink building while a gymnasium, if approved by Town Council, would be a publicly owned facility.
The feasibility study for the project began in January this year and Inglis will be making his final report in January 2018. The study was made possible by a $75,000 grant from Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Inglis told committee they have created a ten-year plan and hope to have the new building up and running in five years.
“We can make a business case for this facility,” he told committee. “It needs to be operated as a business with a full marketing plan, as well as a financial and operational plan.”
Inglis told the committee the town also has a role to play to make this successful.
He said they need an offer of the land at McCulley-Robertson, a plan to connect William Street with Marsh Road, and an extension of services to the site of the facility. They would also help formulate the plans and write any future grant applications.
Inglis added that the payback of that investment will come in economic return from events, the role it will play in attracting employees to the town, growth of sport, and more utilization of the park for all ages, and it would be fully accessible.
He pointed out that the project fits into the Town’s strategic plan, enhancing economic development as well as health and wellness. It also conforms to the accessibility and youth guidelines.
The cost of the curling facility has been pegged at close to six million dollars; the gymnasium would add between $1.6 and two million to that cost.
Deputy Mayor Karin Terziano questioned the club’s projected increase in curling revenues, that nearly double in five years.
“The current four-rink facility has about a 400-person capacity and a six-rink building would increase that number. There is also a greater opportunity for renting out the facility. A six-sheet has more utility than a four-sheet,” explained Inglis.
“When you compare Huntsville to Collingwood which has very similar demographics,” he added, “the opportunities are there and there is proof that a six-sheet facility can work.”
Asked after the presentation about the economic impact of those opportunities, Inglis said the upcoming Ontario Tankard championship in January will be worth about $750,000 or more to Huntsville. He also said a recent Brier championship brought in $10.1 million in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Ted Bionda, Huntsville Curling Club president, told Doppler after the presentation that the project is on schedule, however council’s support is now crucial.
“If council can commit to what we have asked today,” he said, “we can move forward on the next phase and it should be ready to go in 2022. But we need that commitment next month. Without it, I don’t think we can move ahead.”
Later in the meeting, committee chair, Brian Thompson, reminded councillors that they had already made a commitment to the curling club. In March 2015, Town Council passed a resolution to create a Memorandum of Understanding with the curling club that included sale of identified land at McCulley Robertson to the club for one dollar, that severance of the land be the responsibility of the Town, and that the building include provisions for future expansion by the Town. Costs associated with the property transfer were noted as he responsibility of the curling club, and the club was to investigate the costs for the site to be serviced with water, sewer, hydro and telephone and report back to Council for consideration.
Committee directed staff to investigate the costs presented in the Huntsville Curling Club’s proposal and report back to General Committee no later than December 31, 2017.
See the Huntsville Curling Club’s presentation here (PDF).
Related story: Curling Club is starting to get an idea of what their new facility would look like
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