City council has approved a resolution to proceed with the final phase of the $12-million Thompson Regional Community Centre (TRCC) subject to financing.
Council had to choose between going ahead with the larger 2,743-square metre "footprint" or a smaller of 2,203- square metre and project at an estimated cost of $9 million, Gary Ceppetelli, director of planning and community development, noted in a June 2 report to council and city manager Randy Patrick.
Both estimates are much smaller than the $22-million project, as it was first envisioned, several years ago before being scaled back substantially, including scrapping a proposed field house and attachment to the Burntwood Curling Club.
"The city has presently secured funding from Build Canada for $8.742 million, which includes the city's one-third contribution," he noted.
Center (TRCC)
On May 25, council passed a resolution allowing administration to proceed to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the purposes of hiring a construction manager for the design development phase to "assist in refining the project from the perspective of "cost, content and schedule."
The resolution approving the larger of the two proposed project size was passed June 7.
In March, the City of Thompson put on display an architect's rendering of the exterior of the Thompson Regional Community Centre's final phase.
Lynne Yelich, minister of state for Western Economic Diversification Canada announced a range of Northern Manitoba projects that would receive funding from the federal government Feb. 18, including $75,000 through the Recreation Infrastructure Canada (RinC) program to be put towards construction of a climbing wall and play structure at the TRCC.
"The $150,000 required from us as matching funds will come from our planned contribution to the TRCC project," said Bruce Krentz, the City of Thompson's director of recreation, parks and culture, in an earlier interview. "We had previously budgeted in excess of $150,000 for that play structure and area, so the funds from the RinC fund will allow us to enhance that area. That RinC program is similar but separate from the Build Canada Program which we accessed for the larger contribution."
The provincial and federal governments announced May 1, 2009 that Thompson would be receiving $5.828 million towards the completion of the Thompson Regional Community Centre as part of $116 million in spending for rural and Northern Manitoba from the Building Canada Fund - Communities Component. The funding is provided through an equal cost-sharing agreement with the City of Thompson, the province and the federal government each providing one-third of the project cost. The federal and provincial funding was provided on the condition that construction must begin within two years.
Construction is set to begin this summer some time after July 1.
