Millions planned for infrastructure
Northern News Services
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The city revealed its draft budget for 2016 earlier this month. Beyond what it proposes to do next year, the document also lays out plans for future infrastructure spending.
Overall, the city expects to spend up to $113 million on infrastructure in the next five years, including roads, sidewalks, and water and sewer line replacement.
Some of the big ticket projects envisioned include a new outdoor recreation centre, pool repairs and calls for replacement of the city's library over the coming years.
The plans still have to be approved by council next month.
The city's capital plan for construction of a $8.5-million multi-use outdoor recreation facility on eight hectares of land near Taylor Road on the former Con Mine site starting in 2018.
The Con site is still undergoing remediation and the city does not yet legally have the land, although it has submitted a request to the territorial government for it.
The recreation centre would have a soccer field, four ball diamonds, a track, skateboard park, tennis courts, playground and still have room for further development.
The first phase would be to install infrastructure for the facility, including upgrading a warehouse on the site to be used for the parks division staff and for storage. Washrooms and concession stands would also be built. The second phase would be the construction of fields.
The long-term cost is not clear. The budget simply states "there will be some impact on (operations and maintenance)."
There are several renovations to the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool planned in the coming years.
Re-siding the exterior walls of the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool in 2017 could cost $230,000.
A study by Williams' Engineering of the building that opened in 1988 found "signs of deterioration due to the combination of extreme weather outside the building and high humidity inside," the budget notes.
"If the problem with the outer walls is not dealt with soon, moisture will penetrate the walls, leading to deterioration of materials, and allowing mold and mildew to develop."
Re-tiling the basin and floor at the pool in 2018 is expected to cost $575,000.
This maintenance comes as the city considers whether to spend millions to build a new pool or undertake a renovation of the existing facility.
New pools in other northern communities have cost between $30 to $40 million. Renovation is estimated to cost $20 to 25 million.
The replacement or renovation was pushed forward in the budget plan from the early 2020s to allow for a potential Canada Winter Games bid.
The long-term plan calls for a new library, though the draft budget does not contain a cost estimate.
During a public consultation session about the 50/50 lot this month, conceptual drawings were shown with a new library or cultural centre on the vacant downtown parcel.
Simon Taylor, the architect hired to create these concepts, and the city's director of planning and development, Jeff Humble, estimated such a building could cost between $20 million and $40 million.
