A bigger ice rink and seniors’ rec facility could be in the offing if an emerging vision that would transform the West Vancouver Community Centre site proves popular.
District council received a presentation during Monday’s meeting from the West Vancouver Community Centres Society regarding its aging ice arena and seniors’ activity centre, with general plans to expand and replace the facilities in the next five to 10 years.
In April the society launched a number of engagement activities, including an online survey and several open houses, designed to weigh the public’s interest and develop ideas for replacing the district’s 51-year-old ice arena and its seniors’ activity centre that, according to the society, doesn’t meet the needs and interests of older adults.
“I do believe that it is important that we start planning in advance of needs rather than – for example, to use the police station – when we’re well beyond when that building should have been replaced and we’re really in reactive mode,” said Coun. Mary-Ann Booth. “This is a good … start of the conversation.”
The presentation was intended to provide a road map forward for the next 10 years and beyond, though it didn’t include in-depth details such as building designs and programming ideas for the new facilities.
What was floated, however, was replacing the ice arena at 22nd Street and Gordon Avenue within the next five years with a new Sportsplex at the corner of Gordon and 21st Street that would include a new regulation-size ice arena, as well as a second sheet of ice for leisure skating, with multi-purpose space reserved for child care, youth activities, and a fitness space.
Within the next five to 10 years, an idea for a second phase was presented that would see the current seniors’ activity centre at 21st Street and Marine Drive shipped over to what would be the former site of the Ice Arena, and turned into an expanded building that would have three times as much space as the existing facility.
“We have several projects that are underway that are going to cost a lot of money,” noted Coun. Bill Soprovich following the presentation. “Your price tag is huge.”
Very early cost estimates put the proposed Sportsplex price tag at approximately $50 million and the proposed expanded seniors’ activity centre at approximately $61 million.
A third phase of the project was also presented that would see the southeast corner of the community centre site reimagined as a community hub and mixed-use facility in the next 10 or more years, assuming relocating the current seniors’ activity centre would free up space at that portion of the site.
Almost 800 West Vancouver residents responded to the survey and more than 4,000 people were reached through the West Vancouver Community Centres Society’s online newsletter.
While a majority of survey respondents expressed support for the society’s vision, some had concerns regarding the potential costs of the project and the displacement of the West Vancouver Tennis Club that would be closed to make way for the new sportsplex. The tennis courts would likely find a new home in the form of rooftop tennis courts at the new sportsplex, the presentation noted.
“The only point I need to make,” said Mayor Michael Smith, “because I can see my mother’s face haunting me as I move forward – she was a 45-year, very active member of the West Van Tennis Club – so if she was here she would quickly point out that the tennis club was here long before the community centre, the ice arena, the aquatic centre, or any other civic facilities there. We need to be very sensitive about what we do with our much-beloved West Van tennis court.”
Moving forward, council unanimously voted to establish a district-led committee that will guide further consultations with residents and stakeholders about the project, as well as examine potential ways to pay for it.
