Riverview recreation centre cost estimate goes up $4M

The preliminary cost estimateto build Riverview's planned recreation centrehas risento $20 million.

Town staff gave council the new estimate $4 million more than the figure in budget documents last year to ensure enough money is earmarked and to account for construction costs when work beginsin 2022.

"We don't know how costs will vary then," Tammy Rampersaud, a Riverview councillor-at-large who sits on a steering committee for the centre, said in an interview last week.

"So we wanted to be realistic."

Design work for the centre isn't finished, so precise cost estimates aren't available yet, she said.

The centre is expected to include an aquatics facility, field house, indoor walking track and rooms for community use. The town cut an ice rink from its plans last year to reduce the cost by $14 million, though it says a future expansion would still be possible.

Rampersaudsaid the centre will bring people of all ages together.

"It's an option to maintain a healthy lifestyle and that goes really well with everything else that we're doing in town to be more active and to get to know each other better," she said.

Construction in 2022 and 2023 is expected to take place on land nearMill Creek Park. It would be built off Bridgedale Boulevard, a new street that councillors last week recommended start being built in 2020.

Staff estimate it could cost$5.4 million to build iteastward fromGunningsville Boulevardto RunnymeadeRoad. The town plans to eventually connect it to Hillsborough Road.

Fundraising groundwork underway

A steering committee, whichRampersaudsits on, was launched earlier this year to lay the groundwork for a $2 million fundraising campaign.

The town also hopes to secure funds from the federal and provincial governments for construction costs.

"It's going to be awesome to get funding from other levels of government, but we want to be prepared as a town to stand behind this project and fund it as a municipality in its entirety if we have to,"Rampersaudsaid.

Debt set to rise

The updated figure was included in the town's 10-year capital budget presented to councillors at a committee meeting last week. The document included anote of caution from staff about the town's future debt.

It's debt ratio a measure of the portion of the budget spent repaying borrowed money is projected to rise to 16.5 per cent in 2028. That's above the 16 per cent target previously set by council. It budgeted for a ratio of9.45 per cent this year.

The report notes that Kim MacPherson, the province's auditor general, recently raised concerns about the level of debt held by municipalities in the province.

Rampersaudsaid the town has done a good job in recent years paying down its debt. She said council now reviews the long-term spending plan to have conversations about its priorities.

"I think that our residents should know that we don't make these decisions lightly,"Rampersaudsaid."And we're still trying to make sure that we're always responsible with our taxpayers' dollars."

Tax hike projected

The town's long-term plan calls for increasing the tax rate by six cents over the next decade, down from 10 cents in the last version.

The recreation centre would be the latest multimillion dollar municipal sports or recreationcomplex built in the region.

Moncton's Avenir Centre, a venue for a junior hockey team and professional basketball team,opened last September at a cost of $113 million. Dieppe's $31-million UNIplexwith two ice sheets and community space is under construction.