Recreation Facility

The 2014-2018 Council has been active in addressing the recreation file since their inauguration in December 2014. Please find below the current status of the project. The project is on schedule and the project team is working hard to keep to timelines.

In addition, underground electrical work is underway and site grading at the western portion of the building is being completed with the placement of the clay liner and soil.

The foundations and footings for the building are well underway with much of the pool area complete. Construction of the footings, pads and walls have been ongoing for the past two weeks in the area of the pool and change rooms and will continue over the next coming weeks. See pictures below from a recent site tour on June 28, 2017.

Drilling of the rammed aggregate piers, the foundation system selected for the building, is 

currently underway, and should be completed by the end of December. Importing of clay material that will be used to cap the brownfield site and the import of the soils from employment lands in West Orillia has commenced. It is anticipated that forming of the foundations will start early in the New Year and storm and sanitary system and permanent water service will be underway in spring 2017.

Read the newest Progress Report on this exciting project.

Council awarded the construction of the Orillia Recreation Facility at 255 West St. S. to The Atlas Corporation for $48,450,000 at its meeting on Aug. 17, 2016, and work is anticipated to begin on the site within a few weeks.

The Orillia Recreation Facility project includes an aquatic centre (lap pool, leisure pool, and therapy pool), gymnasiums, multi-purpose rooms, a walking/jogging track, preschool room, office space and a fitness centre.

At the Sept. 12, 2016, Council Committee meeting, Council will review alternate pricing options for six items including the deletion of trail lighting, a pedestrian bridge over Ben's Ditch, aquatic climbing wall, and some water features (leaving the plumbing), as well as changing from a moveable floor to a regular pool basin and changing from a hard gym wall to a curtain wall. This discussion will allow Council to examine potential cost saving options for the project.

Construction of the facility will take approximately two years, with an anticipated summer 2018 opening. 
Please click here to view the NEWS RELEASE >>

The tender for the Orillia Recreation Centre closed on Thursday, August 4, 2016 at 3:00:00 p.m. 
Please click here to view TENDER RESULTS >>

 Construction and Tendering Documentation Phase

During this phase of the project, the detailed construction drawings and tender documents will be prepared. Overall design changes will be minor in nature and the consultant team will be producing very detailed specifications for every item of the project. This information will form the basis of the tender bid package. The architects will be proceeding with site plan approvals, building permit reviews and the prequalification of contractors. It is anticipated that a construction tender will be awarded in late July and construction will begin in August 2016. 

RELEASE - Orillia on track for awarding recreation project tender this summer

The Detailed Design Phase of the project is now complete. The City will proceed with the Construction and Tendering Documentation Phase of the project. For more information on the completion of the Detailed Design Phase, read the Recreation Facility Project Team's report to Council Committee and the City's news release. 

Detailed Design Photos

Building on the Schematic Design, the Detailed Design Phase of the project focused on specific aspects of the design of the facility, such as leisure pool layout, wet and dry changeroom configuration, AV and IT requirements etc. This phase also included a Class "B" costing. A number of studies/plans were completed during this phase including a Health and Safety Plan for work being done on-site, Soil Management/Soil Monitoring and the Environmental Impact Study.

View the presentation to Council from February 1, 2016 >>