Time for a U-turn on sports facilities?

Back in 2001, a consultant hired by the city to help develop a 10-year plan for future recreation facilities threw out a 100acre sports park as something to consider.

Earlier this week, the same consultant told a public meeting that many municipalities are building multi-use complexes instead of spreading arenas, playing fields etc. around their communities.

The message has been consistent, but it obviously hasn’t been getting across. That might not be a bad thing.

When the 100-acre sports park was brought up the city was just about to partner with Fleming College to build the $14million Wellness Centre on the college campus.

Since then it has invested more than $13 million upgrading the Memorial Centre and contributed $2.5 million to the new YMCA and $1 million to Trent University’s upgrade of its recreation centre. It has committed to partner with Fleming a second time on a $5.9 million artificial turf soccer complex and with the public school board for a $2.9 million artificial playing field and track and field project at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School.

A new Peterborough Rugby Union clubhouse at Nicholls Oval, a project now having difficulties, couldn’t have gone ahead without $450,000 in loans and grants from the city, and a free 50-year lease on the land.

Over the years the city has also invested heavily in the Eastgate Park soccer complex on Ashburnham Dr. in partnership with local soccer associations.

Those projects reflect the city’s actual approach to building: partner with existing groups to get maximum return on investment as well as access to vacant land, a commodity the city is short on.

Spreading facilities around the city – what might be called the “fairness” approach – has also been a theme.

That’s not the vision people were connecting to during Wednesday’s community forum. The ideal that was thrown up was Whitby’s Iroquois Park Sports Centre, a 50acre complex with six ice pads, six outdoor tennis courts, three lighted baseball fields, a recreation centre and full-sized restaurant.

Cobourg’s expansive new $27-million community centre is another example. Opened two years ago, it has a 2,000-seat arena, gymnasium, fitness centre and walking track as well as public meeting spaces.

When Northcrest closes, at least one and more likely two ice pads will be needed. There will be lobbying for three or four.

When the community is asking whether arenas should be part of an even larger complex, it should also be asking whether more than a decade of investment in partnerships means that ship has already sailed.