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CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Report Date: |
March 24, 2005 | |
Author: |
Liane McKenna | |
Phone No.: |
604.257.8691 | |
RTS No.: |
05024 | |
CC File No.: |
1611 | |
Meeting Date: |
April 12, 2005 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
General Manager, Vancouver Park Board |
SUBJECT: |
Millennium Sports Centre Project- Grant for Phase 2 |
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council receive the $400,000 from the Province of BC's Community Development Initiative for Phase 2 of the Millennium Sports Centre Project.
B. THAT Council approve an additional Capital Grant of $450,000 to the Millennium Sports Facility Society for this project; source of funding to be:
· the $400,000 from the Province of BC Community Development Initiative, and
· the Park Board Capital Budget for General Facility Development.
As this Recommendation involves a grant, approval requires 8 affirmative votes of Council.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager supports the above recommendations.
COUNCIL POLICY
Approval of capital grants to outside organizations require eight affirmative votes of Council.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to ask Council to accept $400,000 from the Province of BC's Community Development Initiatives Program for Phase2 of the Millennium Sports Centre and grant this funding to the Millennium Sports Facility Society to complete the next phase of this project. Council is also being requested to provide a Capital grant for an additional $50,000 for this project with funding from a reallocation from the Park Board Capital Budget.
BACKGROUND
The Millennium Sports Centre Project is being constructed by the Millennium Sports Facility Society (MSFS), a unique partnership of community recreation groups in the Phoenix Gymnastics Club and the Pacific Indoor Bowls Club. The facility of approximately 44,000 square feet is located at Midlothian Blvd and Clancy Loranger Way at Nat Bailey Stadium Park and provides an indoor lawn bowling facility on the lower level and a gymnastics facility on the main and mezzanine levels.
Phase 1 of this project cost $4.7 million with most of the funds raised through community fund raising and grants from other levels of government including $1.7 million from the Canada/BC Infrastructure Program. Council also generously contributed a grant of just over $1.05 million toward the project early in 2004.
Early in 2005 when it became evident that the level of finishing required for the facility could not be covered by the existing funding, the Park Board, on behalf of the City of Vancouver and MSFS applied to the Canada/BC Infrastructure Program for Phase 2 funding of $600,000 to complete the facility. The required one-third applicant's funding was provided by a new $75,000 contribution from each of the partner Clubs and a commitment of $50,000 to be allocated from the Park Board's Capital Plan 2003-2005.
On March 19, 2005 it was announced by MLA Patrick Wong on behalf of Minister John Les, Minister of Small Business and Economic Development, that the Government of BC had awarded the project $400,000 under the Community Development Initiatives Program. This Program provides funding for significant community infrastructure projects that have been selected from projects submitted to the government under the Canada/BC Infrastructure Program and the Western Economic Partnership Agreement.
DISCUSSION
All of the partner organizations the Pacific Indoor Bowls Club and the Phoenix Gymnastics Club and the Park Board were extremely pleased with the new funding support for this project. It will allow the Clubs to access this facility in the summer of 2005 to begin their community programming advocating wellness through physical activity, bringing generations together, increasing opportunities for girls and women to participate in sport and recreation and expanding the range of opportunities for diverse cultures and economic groups. The facility will also be available to support the 2010 Winter Olympics.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The Province of BC has contributed $400,000 to the Millennium Sports Facility through the Community Development Initiatives Program. As such the funding will flow directly to the City.
Under the authority of the General Manager, the Park Board will reallocate $50,000 from the Park Board Capital Budget allocation for General Facility Development to the Millennium project.
Approval of an additional grant of $450,000 to the Millennium Sports Facility will require eight affirmative votes of Council. As the Park Board has been involved in the management of the project since the Council approval of a grant in 2004, the same approach will continue with this funding. All of the funding for the project allocated to Phase 1 will be expended prior to the use of these Phase 2 funds.
CONCLUSION
The Millennium Sports Centre is approximately 70% complete and the support of the provincial government in providing an additional $400,000 for Phase 2 of the project will allow its completion in the summer of 2005. Council is being asked to grant this funding to the MSFS for this project and to allocate an additional grant of $50,000, funds to be provided from a reallocation of funds in the Park Board's Capital Plan 2003 -2005 to this project.
The Park Board, the Clubs and the Community are eagerly awaiting this facility as a unique partnership model of community recreation groups fund raising to build and operate facilities for the enjoyment of residents of the City of Vancouver.
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