That multiplex report is coming — but when?
February, June dates pass ... but now January is possible, say current members of council
While there is no set date, council members should expect to see a city staff report on the status of the multiplex negotiations with Morguard Real Estate in January, according to current members of council.
Outgoing mayor Doug Craig and Coun. Frank Monteiro said the report will be presented beyond the one-year anniversary of city council’s directive to staff on Dec. 4, 2017, to begin detailed discussions with Morguard representatives to craft a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to have several of the sports multiplex amenities built at the Cambridge Centre mall.
The original plan was to have an aquatics complex built elsewhere.
The MOU was supposed to come to council last February, and again in June.
In March, city council brought Deloitte Real Estate, MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects and law firm WeirFoulds onto their negotiating team at a cost not to exceed $300,000.
This was all after council shortlisted five locations for the multiplex — after the original location at Conestoga College met with public backlash, prompting council to form a task force to adopt a preferred site selection list.
But Craig was approached by Cambridge Chamber of Commerce president Greg Durocher, who had a proposal from Morguard representatives to build the multiplex at the Cambridge Centre after the Sears store closed.
Since the summer, however, there has been silence.
Craig said the process continues, despite the complex becoming a back-burner issue during the municipal election.
“I think it’s moving forward, but I can’t say anything more than that,” he said.
Craig won’t be a part of council when the staff report is ready but he warned council that the landscape has changed from when negotiations began.
“They need to move forward on something right away, because our facilities are aging. Everyone is forgetting there’s a budget and you can’t go over that budget, and that’s been forgotten by a lot of people.”
The budget for the multiplex was last listed at $80 million.
That number has Monteiro, the current head of the multiplex task force, worried.
“Can we afford it? I don’t know. I don’t know what the figures are. I don’t know what’s all behind it until we have the report from staff as to what they discussed and what it means, because there’s a lot of options in there,” he said.
With U.S. steel tariffs, construction costs escalating each year and the rising price of softwood lumber, what might have been affordable may no longer be an option, Monteiro said.
He was hesitant to say whether that, as well as the state of negotiations with Morguard, would open other sites for review.
Two years ago, two lots on Pinebush Road, one on Hespeler Road, one on Franklin Boulevard and the Conestoga site were scored based on community impact, cost, degree of access, site size and timing to build.
“We may. Maybe that will happen. We don’t know,” Monteiro said. “It all depends on the bottom line; how much it’s going to cost.”
Morguard did not immediately respond to emails.
Mayor-elect Kathryn McGarry agreed with Craig and Monteiro that costs will drive whether the multiplex sinks or swims at the Cambridge Centre.
While the city’s next mayor knows that time is of the essence once a report comes to council, she maintains jumping in with both feet isn’t the answer.
“My position is it’s for the new council to take stock, and once we get that consultant’s report, we’ll look at what the cost of a multiplex might look like in today’s costs,” she said.
“Part of that taking stock is a quick round of consultation and then finding a solution that works for the needs of the user groups, the community in today’s costs, and then make a decision with mayor and council and the community together to what makes sense.
“From what I hear from the councillors — and I’ve been meeting with them individually and from what I heard over the campaign — I think they’re also anxious to take stock, because this issue’s been a few years outdated now.”
McGarry added that it was important to go back to user groups, as what was needed when the multiplex was first proposed and what might be needed today could shift. As an example, she cited the rise of pickleball. In addition, a final blueprint of the facility hasn’t been decided.
“It was looked at as one facility, potentially with a pool and the arena in one facility,” she said.
“And then there’s been other suggestions that they didn’t necessarily look at closely enough, to see whether the arena should be in one facility and a multiplex with a pool and a gym in another. All that has to be decided upon.”
McGarry said council won’t be afraid to take a step back if need be, should the Cambridge Centre no longer become the option.
“I think we’ll be able to make a better decision, because some of the work that’s been done in the community right now … (the site selection committee has) done a good analysis of what land’s available and might be feasible.
“It will be much easier at that point once all the information is ahead of us, and then we can make a decision that best works for anybody.”
Susanne Hiller, the city’s director of corporate communications, said the city’s focus hasn’t wavered since negotiations began with Morguard.
“We remain in discussions with a focus on ensuring an affordable solution that is in the best interest of taxpayers, sports and recreation groups, and the community,” Hiller said.