Seniors programs may be on move

Study to ask users if new facility at rec complex would better suit needs, save city repair money

WATERLOO — The City of Waterloo may relocate its programming for seniors to the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex as part of an expansion plan for the facility.

Council voted last Monday to investigate moving programming from the Adult Recreation Centre and Wing 404 to a new adult facility at the rec complex.

“Both of the spaces that the seniors have programming with now are old and in need of a lot of upkeep and, with our population aging, … we either have to put lots of money into keeping those aging buildings going or we need to figure out a new space to support the seniors,” Coun. Angela Vieth said.

The move flows out of the older adult recreation strategy approved by council in 2015. One of its recommendations was to look into the idea of an adult facility at the rec complex. The memorial complex is scheduled for an expansion in 2020.

Staff will complete a needs investigation and then a feasibility study to determine whether the changes should be made.

The Adult Recreation Centre is located at 185 King St. S. and the 404 at 510 Dutton Dr.

Vieth said parking and transit have been challenges at the current facilities, and the rec complex site on Father David Bauer Drive is a central location.

There is expected to be significant public consultation, including open houses, focus groups, online engagement and more.

Vieth said consulting the seniors who use the centres, which are busy and “hopping all the time,” will be key.

“We’ll be reaching out to the community, because why do anything if you don’t know what kind of space you need, and the seniors are the ones that should be contributing to that conversation,” Vieth said.

The needs assessment will get underway in the fall with completion and approval expected in March. If council chooses to move ahead, a feasibility study will then get started with approval in December 2017.

The city expects to spend about $275,000 on the needs assessment and feasibility study. About $10.7 million is budgeted for the rec complex expansion. If the adult centre and Wing 404 were sold, the city could use proceeds for a new adult facility.

The Adult Recreation Centre and Wing 404 need up to $5 million in repairs the next 20 years that could be avoided building new.