Council Committee recommends recreation facility at 255 West Street South

For immediate release (May 5, 2015) – Council will be considering moving forward with a recreation facility at 255 West Street South, following a report Monday which advised that development at 174 West Street South is no longer viable. 

“The property at 255 West Street South will demonstrate Council’s commitment to redevelopment of a brownfield,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “This site is centrally located and the redevelopment of the property will present tremendous social, environmental and economic benefits to the community.” 

Staff reported Monday that the timing of a potential O.P.P detachment build would not coincide with the timeframes contemplated for development at 174 West Street South. As such, Tribal Partners advised that they will no longer be pursuing development of the site. 

A Council resolution in February recommended that staff pursue a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the acquisition of land at 174 West Street South. A further clause directed the establishment of a  committee to explore what would be required to move forward with a development on 255 West Street South. This resolution acknowledged Council’s wish to demonstrate expedience on this file, and ensured a back-up plan was in place if needed. 

“Once this decision is ratified at Council, we can immediately begin moving ahead at 255 West Street South, with construction expected to begin in spring of 2016,” said Clarke. “An extensive amount of research and public consultation has taken place over a number of years - it’s time to build this facility!” 

The next step for Council will be to determine the recreation programming and project budget.  Both of which will be discussed at a Budget Committee meeting planned for this Thursday, May 7.

Council has also placed an emphasis on ensuring the community is informed of this project every step of the way. If approved, staff have committed to frequent project updates, which will be posted on the project website at orillia.ca/recreationfacility.

“Council understands that this isn’t our recreation facility, it’s the community’s,” said Clarke. “This is truly an exciting project and something we want the community to share ownership of.”

Council is expected to make a final decision on the recreation facility site on Monday, May 11, 2015. 

The City of Orillia is a city of 31,000 people in the heart of Ontario’s Lake Country on the shores of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Visit our website at orillia.ca. 

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Mayor Steve Clarke
City of Orillia
705-325-3662
mayor@orillia.ca
 
Laura Thompson
Manager of Communications
705-325-8929
705-826-4399 (cell)
lthompson@orillia.ca