Peter Crnogorac
Northern News Services
Wednesday, February 7, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Saying costs are too high, city councillors voted to send a plan for a sports fieldhouse "back to the drawing board."

A new cost estimate tabled at a committee meeting Monday put the facility at $26,807,220, more than double original projections.

In The Bank The city has funding set aside for building the fieldhouse. Community Facility Reserve - $8,300,000 Comm. Capacity Building Fund - $3,200,000 Facilities for Kids - $1,000,000 Sponsor - $750,000 Total funding - $13,250,000

The committee was to consider a motion to hold a public vote on borrowing up to $13 million. Instead, councillors recommended sending the plan back to its working group with instructions to scale back the facility so it comes within the $13 million the city has set aside for the project.

"This comes as a surprise to most, and is a disappointment to those who have been working on the fieldhouse proposal for a year-and-a-half now," said Coun. Bob Brooks, who is on the fieldhouse committee.

"The way this is going forward now, it's not working."

This is the second blow in recent days for fieldhouse proponents. Late last week, city officials confirmed there was no way the facility could be ready in time for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games.

In 2005, the fieldhouse was estimated to cost between $6 million and $12 million, however later estimates pushed the price to

$20 million.

To meet the new costs to build the facility, complete with two indoor soccer fields, running track, play area and meeting rooms, city administration told council they would have to borrow $13,557,220.

Two funding options were proposed:

* Borrow $13.5 million at a 6.2 per cent interest rate over 15 years. This would result in an 8.14 tax increase to recover $1,384,614 per year;

* or, borrow $6 million over three years, and use the Community Facility Reserve Fund to pay off the debt costs. The remaining $7.5 million would be borrowed over 15 years, bringing the annual debt cost to $769,230, which would result in a 4.52 per cent tax increase. With the second option, a new library would be deferred by three years to 2017, and City Hall renovations delayed to 2014.

Estimated annual operating costs of $787,000 would result in a further property tax increase of 1.38 per cent.

"I think we should look at the opportunity to look at a whole new design," said Brooks. "We should take it back to the committee with a recommendation for a new design, new numbers and go from there."

Other councillors supported his recommendation.

"I'm very much in favour of looking at the money we have and what we can do with it," said Coun. Lydia Bardak.

Coun. Paul Falvo said this doesn't mean the project is dead.

"I want to put the emphasis on the fact we are not putting the brakes on the fieldhouse but that we are looking at other options."

Over the last two years, as the price for the facility climbed, at least one group in the city predicted the downfall of the plan.

In June 2006, John Buist, president of the Aurora Minor Soccer Association, said the project seemed doomed because of its escalating size and price.

"The city is trying to be everything to everybody," he said at the time.

On Monday, council said that, at the least, the new recommendation for the fieldhouse should still include the two indoor fields and running track.