A key gymnasium and multi-purpose recreation facility in central Coquitlam will be shuttered for up to two years while Centennial secondary school is rebuilt.
The Centennial Activity Centre (CAC), which represents 40% of Coquitlam’s annual gymnasium inventory, is expected to close its doors on July 1, forcing parks and recreation staff to find alternatives for groups that currently rent the space.
The municipality and School District 43 share the facility, which opened in 2003, with city programs operating on evenings and weekends. More than 12,000 residents take advantage of the CAC and some activities will be relocated to the nearby Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex, the Dogwood Pavilion, the Centennial Pavilion and Montgomery middle.
However some sports, like archery and basketball, cannot be easily moved and staff expect participation rates to fall during the closure, hurting city revenues.
“[School District 43] is making the best efforts to reduce the timeline,” said Raul Allueva, the city’s general manager of parks and recreation. “They are aware of the impact. They would like to reduce the impact but they do believe the minimum [closure] would be 18 months.”
“There is the possibility that for the next 18 to 24 months, there will be 25% to 50% fewer gymnasium programs offered due to lack of appropriate spaces both in schools and in city facilities,” said a staff report. “There will likely be a loss of participants in sport programs with the change of location and the quality of venues.”
With the decrease in participation and the increase in costs related to cash handling and remote office setups, staff expects a revenue loss of $250,000 over the next two years.
The closure comes at a time when the city’s recreation programs are experiencing a jump in popularity. Overall revenue from recreation has increased 26% in the last three years, rising from $150,000 in 2013 to $190,000 in 2016.
A joint operating agreement for CAC was signed in 2001 and Coquitlam contributed $750,000 to the cost of construction along with $27,000 in annual operating expenses.
Construction on the replacement Centennial secondary began in 2013 and the $47.7-million project is expected to be completed next spring.
The facility will feature a light and airy two-storey structure with lots of windows and a solar chimney, along with an open library and amphitheatre. There will also be a new gymnasium with an NBA-sized basketball court and a 3,000 sq. ft. lab for science instruction.
@gmckennaTC
