Cardio equipment, yoga classes and other fitness programs could be relocated for approximately six months as the City Centre Aquatic Complex (CCAC) undergoes a major overhaul starting later this year.
The city is considering spending between $4.4 million and $4.9 million to renovate the lobby, relocate an expanded weight room into the physiotherapy space and build an additional fitness studio with a sprung floor and higher ceiling.
The expansion will add more than 9,000 sq. ft. of fitness space to the facility, which today is often over capacity, said Tiina Mack, Coquitlam's manager of recreation and culture facility planning.
"We do have a challenge with space for all of our programs," Mack said during a committee meeting this week, noting the population growth in the City Centre and northeast neighbourhoods.
But the expansion will mean disruptions for regular CCAC users during the construction period.
Staff said they are working to mitigate the impacts by commencing the work in September, during the annual maintenance shutdown, when parts of the facility are already closed for a minimum of six weeks.
The renovation of the lobby area is expected to be completed by the end of October while work on the expanded weight training and multi-purpose areas will not be finished until March 2021.
The most significant component — the new fitness room addition — will be completed by September 2021, meaning the entire project will take approximately one year.
The swimming pool will remain open during most of the construction but there will be long periods of time when the gym and multi-purpose spaces are unavailable.
In order to keep programs going while the work is taking place, staff said they are looking at moving services to the Innovation Centre — across Pinetree Way from the pool, next to Evergreen Cultural Centre — for approximately six months.
"The goal is to minimize closure of the popular pool during the renovation and expansion project," Mack said in an email. "The target is to see the pool closed only during the regular annual maintenance shutdown of five weeks starting in September and finishing in October."
Once construction is complete, the expanded facility will accommodate 65,000 additional visits each year.
The number of fitness classes is expected to grow from 20 to 50 while weekly spin classes will increase to 20. The expanded gym will also be able to hold an additional 21 pieces of equipment, with "more space for stretching and free weights."
Council is expected to vote on the final design and budget for the project in the coming weeks.
CCAC was built in 1993 and will near the end of its life in approximately 15 years, when staff said a major renovation or replacement will be necessary. Until then, the expanded facility will accommodate population growth in the neighbourhoods, according to a report.
