Consultants map out options for a new Fredericton-owned gym

A consultant's report has laid out three options for the City of Fredericton to pursue if it were to construct its first municipally owned gymnasium.

But with a price tag of $25 million for the most expensive option, along with competing priorities in a new pool and performing arts centre, it would likely take years for the city to break ground on it, said Coun. Eric Megarity, who's chair of the city's livable community committee.

"This might be four or five, six or seven years away," Megarity said.

"There's too many other questions out there and, of course, you know, the performing arts centre and the pool are two priorities this council are working on. This [gymnasium] might be for the next council, but you know, you have to start."

The consultant's report, released by the city on Thursday, presents options for the layout and location of a new multi-sport gymnasium, or fieldhouse, to meet the demands of a growing population.

In recent years, however, the city has worked toward the goal of getting a new performing arts centre and competitive swimming pool built, with each estimated to cost tens of millions of dollars.

The report on building a gymnasium, done by three consulting companies, followed a period of public engagement the city launched last year to get a sense of the community's demands for more recreational facilities.

According to their report, consultants heard directly from 17 sport and recreation stakeholders in the city and took feedback from 310 responses to a public survey.

Based on what they heard, the consultants recommend the city build a new four-court gymnasium, and plan to build two additional gyms according to population growth.

The consultants also put forward three proposed locations for where the new gym could be built.

The first option is to construct it on the eastern edge of the New Brunswick Exhibition Grounds, which the city already intends to redevelop to create up to 1,200 housing units. The consultants estimate that option would cost just under $17 million.

The second proposed site doesn't include a defined location but would see the gym built alongside a school at a cost of about $16.5 million

The third proposal would put the gym alongside the Grant Harvey Centre. The consultants say that option is the least feasible as construction would impact operations at the Grant Harvey Centre, and added costs of connecting the two buildings would bring the cost up to about $25 million.

Between the three options, the consultants say the city would ultimately be on the hook for between $547,075 and $783,345 in annual operating costs, even after factoring in revenue earned through usage fees and licensing out the canteen.

Megarity said even though he couldn't put a timeline on when a new gym might be built, he said he recognizes the need for one.

"The city's growing, you know, so I mean, we have to prepare now for that eventual growth in our population and with the growth in the population they want more services.

"And, you know, we provide a lot of other recreational services that we don't make money on. So, I mean ... it's about providing services and programs to include all of these groups that want access to recreation services."

New gym needed yesterday

JD Lejeune, the owner of Active Fredericton, an adult multi-sport league that operates year-round in the city, said there's been a need for a new gym for years.

With no city-owned facility currently available, he said his league has to book space at  gyms owned by either the University of New Brunswick or public schools.

"The schools have first priority, so sometimes events come up and the school needs to take back time that was booked out [to us] so that, that can be a bit of a logistical headache sometimes," he said.

Of the options presented, Lejeune said he thinks the exhibition grounds would work best.

"I think being something centralized in downtown is great and I think that that location on the NB Ex is, you know, great for local business in the area.

"And, you know, with the other facilities that are around there, like, you know, the outdoor tennis courts, the parks ... I think it's a big win if it happens there."