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TO: |
Mayor and Members of Council |
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FROM: |
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PREPARED BY: |
Alan Wolfe, P.Eng. Project Consultant |
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DATE OF MEETING: |
2004-June-14 |
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SUBJECT: |
Proposed
Schematic Design for the Centennial Community Centre Expansion and Indoor
Bocce Courts |
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RECOMMENDATION:
THAT this report entitled “Proposed Schematic Design for the Centennial Community Centre
Expansion and Indoor Bocce Courts” be received;
1) CENTENNIAL COMMUNITY CENTRE EXPANSION
AND THAT Council approve the Schematic Design
of the Centennial Community Centre Expansion including a two-floor addition, with a new fitness centre and fitness studio,
a multi-purpose room, an exterior translucent ramp, renovations of existing
area to accommodate new change rooms, and renovations of the lobby as
presented in Alternative 3a) by Oleson, Worland_Taylor Smyth Architects;
AND THAT Council authorize the architect to
proceed with the Design Development;
AND THAT Council approve the approximate size
of this project as follows:
New Construction 23,185 square feet
Renovated Area 16,150
square feet
Total 39,335 square feet
AND THAT Council approve a Schematic Design cost estimate for the New Construction and Renovation as summarized below:
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New Construction |
Renovation
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Total
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Construction
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$5,903,100 |
$2,738,600 |
$8,641,700 |
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Furniture,
Fixtures and Equipment |
$ 220,000 |
$ 85,000 |
$ 305,000 |
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Internal* |
$ 685,000 |
$ 250,000 |
$ 935,000 |
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TOTAL |
$6,808,100 |
$3,073,600 |
$9,881,700 |
*Internal costs include: Architectural fees, signage, security,
insurance, & move-in expenditures
AND THAT Council approve the following funding
sources for the New Construction ($6,808,100):
AND THAT Council approve the Renovation project
cost estimate of $3,073,600 for consideration in the 2005 (tax-funded) Capital
Budget;
AND THAT
Council approve the project schedule detailed below with a proposed opening
date for the project of
Activity Target
Completion Date Council
Approvals
Schematic Design
Design Development
Contract Documents
Tendering Process
Construction Start
Construction Complete
Opening
AND THAT Council endorse the Public Input
process that includes two public meetings to be held during the Design
Development of the project to be held at Centennial Community Centre;
AND THAT the Mayor and Clerk be
authorized to amend the architectural services contract based on the proposed
increased scope of the building program and to execute the architect’s
agreement;
2) PROPOSED ADDITION OF INDOOR BOCCE COURTS
AND THAT Section “2” of this report regarding
providing additional recreational square footage for indoor bocce courts within
the Centennial Community Centre Expansion project be
received;
AND THAT If Council approves including
recreational area for indoor bocce courts within the Centennial Community
Centre Expansion project that the following recommendations be adopted:
·
that the Schematic Design of
the Centennial Community Centre indoor bocce courts of 11,045 square feet
including four international size courts located
side-by-side, viewing areas, and a social area as presented in
Alternative 3c) by Oleson, Worland_Taylor
Smyth Architects as endorsed by the Building Steering Committee be approved;
·
that a funding source for the
$1,953,600 cost of the additional area be from non-DCA sources, including a
significant contribution from the Bocce Club, be identified based on the
options listed in this report;
·
and that the
Bocce Club be required to enter into an operational agreement with the Town for
the operation of the Bocce Courts.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to obtain Council
approval of the Schematic Design of the Centennial Community Centre Expansion.
The report will also discuss the provision of additional recreation area to be
used for indoor bocce courts and the options available to fund the courts. The
report will also establish a Schematic Design cost estimate, a project
schedule, a public input process for the project, and an increase in the
architect fees.
BACKGROUND:
On
The ESC met to discuss the options for relocating some of the components to other locations. As part of these discussions, a report from Poulos and Chung entitled ‘Centennial Community Centre Expansion Assessment of Parking Demand On-Site Parking Supply, Access and Circulation’ was presented to the committee. This report recommended a parking lot design that would accommodate the proposed expansion.
Subsequently,
on the
Based on the Recreation and Cultural Services Department (Recreation Services) preliminary assessment of their requirements, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued for the architectural services to design and construct an 18,000 square foot (sf) addition including a new fitness area and a new multi-purpose room, 6,500 sf of renovations of the existing area to accommodate new change rooms, and a reconstructed parking lot. It also requested that methods to improve the lobby and administrative area be explored and that a feasibility study for the addition of recreation area to accommodate indoor bocce courts be conducted.
After a
comprehensive competition, Oleson Worland_ Taylor Smyth Architects (OWST) was
engaged to provide architectural services for this project on
OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:
1)
CENTENNIAL COMMUNITY CENTRE EXPANSION
1.1) The Architects have met
with Recreation Services staff to determine a building program for the project.
The architects met several times
with the Recreation Services staff to determine the required building program
and possible schematic layouts.
It was determined that it would be desirable to include the following building components:
·
New fitness
centre including a fitness studio and new change rooms
·
A multi-purpose
room/small gym
·
Renovated pool
change rooms that include family change rooms
·
Renovations to
the lobby that would improve the reception area, improve customer flow, enhance
security and provide a more customer-oriented administration area
The multi-purpose room identified
for this project will be utilized as a small gymnasium for active and passive
programming. Recreation Services staff has identified a strong demand for a
facility of this nature and anticipate that it would be heavily utilized.
1.2) The Architect developed alternative
Schematic Designs for consideration of the
Executive Steering Committee.
Based on these program requirements and the size requirements defined in the RFP, four alternatives were developed for consideration of the Executive Building Steering Committee (ESC). The associated drawings are included in Appendix “A”. The four alternatives originally presented are summarized below:
Alternative 1 – Single-Floor Addition including new fitness centre
and studio, renovation of existing change rooms and with no changes to existing
lobby.
Size
New
Construction – 11,730 sf
Renovated
Area - 8,900 sf
TOTAL 20,630 sf
Alternative 2 – Single-Floor Addition including a new fitness
centre and multi-purpose room, renovation of existing change rooms and with
minimal changes to existing lobby.
Size
New
Construction – 16,950 sf
Renovated
Area -
9,430 sf
Alternative 3 – Two-Floor Addition including a new fitness centre and second floor fitness studio, renovation of
existing change rooms, an exterior translucent ramp, and changes to lobby.
Size
New
Construction – 18,150 sf
Renovated
Area - 10,765 sf
TOTAL 28,915 sf
Alternative 3 a) – Two-Floor Addition, including a new fitness centre
and fitness studio, renovations of existing change rooms, multi-purpose room,
an exterior translucent ramp, and complete renovations of the lobby.
Size
New
Construction - 23,185 sf
Renovated
Area - 16,150 sf
TOTAL 39,335 sf
1.3) ESC
endorses Alternative 3a) as the Schematic Design for the Centennial Community
Centre Expansion.
Alternatives 1- 3 were generally within the building program areas specified in the RFP for this project. However, these alternatives do not meet all of the identified program requirements. Alternative 1 does not include the multi-purpose room. Alternative 2 does not include a fitness studio. Lastly, Alternative 3 does not include the multi-purpose room. Furthermore, Alternatives 1 and 2 do not improve the lobby area and do not allow for future expansion or improvements.
The fourth alternative referred to
as Alternative 3a) incorporates all the program requirements identified by the
Recreation Services staff. Although this option substantially exceeds the
building program areas identified in the RFP it meets the program requirements
of the community and results in a facility that will meet the operational
requirements for a modern community centre.
On this basis, ESC endorsed
Alternative 3a) as the Schematic Design for the Centennial Community Centre
Expansion.
It should also be noted that in
addition to the major elements mentioned above the recommended Alternative 3a)
also includes the following features:
·
Windows to allow
for more natural light into the pool
·
Public washrooms
within the lobby
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A training room
for the swimming pool
·
An outside
fitness area adjacent to the fitness studio
·
A relocated Pro
shop within the lobby
The roof above the fitness centre
could be developed into a green roof for the additional cost of $75,000 but is
currently not included in the building program. The project does not include
any renovations or improvements to the second floor Penalty Box lounge, second
floor meeting rooms or the swimming pool viewing area
1.4) The architect has
developed an architectural approach to the expansion that meets the Town’s
urban design requirements.
A description of architect’s conceptual design is included as Appendix “C”. The Town Architect has reviewed the conceptual architectural design and is satisfied that it meets Town urban planning guidelines. The ESC also supports the proposed conceptual architectural design.
Once the Design Development is
complete, the detailed design of the building will be submitted for a complete
site plan approval process.
1.5) A schedule for
the project has been developed with a proposed completion date of
The proposed project schedule is summarized below. It indicates Council approvals required during the process.
Activity Target
Completion Date Council
Approvals
Schematic Design
Design Development
Contract Documents
Tendering Process
Construction Start
Construction Complete
Opening
The construction will proceed in
three phases. The first phase will include constructing the new fitness centre
and change rooms. The second will include renovating the existing change rooms
and fitness centre to accommodate new public change rooms and the renovations
to the lobby.
Lastly, the multi-purpose room and
the bocce courts will be constructed.
This schedule will permit the
facility to remain open during the construction. The pool change room
renovation will be scheduled to coincide with the August/September maintenance
closing of the pool. If this is not feasible, the pool may have to be closed
for a period.
Progress on this schedule will be
reported to the new Building and Parks Construction Committee (BPCC) on a
regular basis.
1.6) Once Council
approves the Schematic Design, a public meeting will be held to obtain public
input into the design of the project.
The public has been consulted
throughout the planning process through the Recreation, Culture and Library
1998 Master Plan, which is currently being updated. Recreation staff members
maintain a close contact with all affected user groups and have reflected user
group requirements in the program development and the Schematic Design. It
should be noted that fundamental design components have been established and no
major design alterations can be considered without major cost and delay
ramifications. The public input process will contribute valuable suggestions for
design details that can be incorporated as part of the Design Development
without significantly increasing the costs.
A public meeting will be held at
the Centennial Community Centre to discuss the schematic design and receive
suggestions. The Schematic Design will be displayed at the community centre for
two weeks prior to the meeting. All user groups will be invited to the meeting.
The meeting date will be posted prominently in the community centre. It will be
advertised on the Markham Page of the Markham Economist and Sun. All
suggestions from the meeting will be documented and presented to the BPCC. The
committee will determine which of the suggestions will be incorporated into the
design.
In addition, the design will be
presented to the Accessibility Committee for their review and comments.
A second Public meeting will be
held once the Design Development is completed to report back to the
participants on the status of their suggestions.
2)
PROPOSED ADDITION OF INDOOR BOCCE COURTS
2.1) A brief summary of bocce within the Town is provided below.
There are currently 8 outdoor bocce
courts in the Town. There are four courts in
The Markham Bocce Association and
the Markville Bocce are currently operating indoor
bocce courts in the Town. Both clubs lease indoor space in industrial units for
their courts. During discussions regarding a previous expansion to the
Centennial Community Centre in the early 1990s, the Markham Bocce Association
requested that bocce courts be included in the proposed expansion. Rather than
include bocce courts as part of the Town’s building program, the Town provided
financial assistance to the Markham Bocce Association. The financial assistance
was provided from 1991-1993. Currently, both of the Bocce Clubs operate without
Town financial support.
2.2) Staff is reluctant to recommend
including any additional Development Charge (DC) funded recreation square
footage at Centennial Community Centre over and above what was identified in
the building program as Alternative 3(a) totalling 23,185 sf.
An additional 11,045 sf of space
for recreational use was not included in the original building program for
Centennial Community Centre Expansion in the 1999 Development Charge By-law,
whether it be for Bocce or any other recreational use. The inclusion of any
additional square footage in this project beyond Alternative 3(a) will reduce
the square footage allocated to future planned recreational complexes slated
for Central East and South East Markham. Furthermore, adding any additional
square footage will reduce the funding envelope for DC funding available for
the proposed future facilities that are in service growth areas.
For these reasons, Staff is reluctant to
recommend including any additional DC funded recreation square footage at
Centennial Community Centre over and above what was identified in the building
program as Alternative 3(a) totalling 23,185 sf.
Although recreation square footage
for the proposed bocce courts is currently under consideration in the new
Development Charge By-Law, the proposed overall building program far exceeds
the amount that can be financed utilizing development charges. It will not be
possible to fund the bocce courts using development charges without reducing
the area identified for other facilities such as the Central East or the South
East community centres. Consequently if the bocce courts were to be approved by
Council, the funding source would need to come from a non-DC source. The
funding options available are discussed in detail in Section 2.7) of the
report.
2.3) The ESC establishes the design
requirements for the proposed indoor bocce courts and the level of commitment of the Bocce
Clubs to the facility
The ESC
established a sub-committee consisting of Councillor McKelvey,
Commissioner Sales, and Recreation Services staff to determine Bocce
Clubs’ level of
commitment to the facility as well as their requirements for the location of the courts, and the general design
criteria for bocce courts.
The sub-committee held a meeting with the presidents of Markham Bocce Association and Markville Bocce to discuss these items. The results were as follows.
a) Club Commitments
·
The Bocce Clubs
agreed that they would merge into one club.
·
They committed
to enter into agreement with the Town to operate the facility. The agreement
would include a financial contribution from the clubs based on their current
costs to lease space for the courts. However, they did not include an offer for
a capital contribution to the facility.
· They have also indicated that they will be actively promoting the sport of bocce. In addition, they have indicated a willingness to share the facility with other compatible sports (for example, lawn bowling).
b) Location criteria
·
In a central
location, for the convenience of the existing Bocce Clubs members
·
In an active
location, that allows for high visibility of the sport to encourage
participation
·
Construction
should proceed in the near future, as their current lease is expiring
·
Combination with
an existing project, in order to share common facilities (washrooms, parking
etc.) and minimize overall costs
c) Design criteria
·
Four international
size courts located side-by-side
·
Ground level
location
·
Viewing and
social areas surrounding the courts
2.4) The ESC was satisfied with the level of
commitment demonstrated by the Bocce Clubs to the operations of the proposed
courts.
The Bocce Club have agreed to enter
into an operational agreement with the Town for the operation of the bocce
courts. The courts will operate independently from the Town. The financial
contribution will fund the operation costs of the courts. However, the
financial commitment currently does not include a contribution to the capital
cost of constructing the facility.
The two clubs have agreed to merge
into one club which will result in a more efficient operation and make it
feasible for the clubs to operate one centralized bocce court facility.
Lastly, they have agreed to promote
the sport and to permit other compatible sport groups to utilize the facility.
This will ensure the facility has maximum utilization.
For these reasons, the ESC was
satisfied that the Bocce Clubs have demonstrated a sufficient commitment to
operate the courts to make the construction of the bocce courts feasible.
2.5) The ESC
confirms Centennial Community Centre as the appropriate location for the bocce
courts.
Based on the above criteria ESC
reviewed the suitability of Centennial Community Centre as a location for the
bocce courts. After careful consideration of other possible locations, the
committee concurred that the Centennial Community Centre met the location
criteria and was the best location for the bocce courts.
2.6) The BPCC endorses Alternative 3 c) as the
best option to accommodate indoor bocce courts with the Centennial Community
Expansion project.
The architect developed and presented alternatives to the ESC for locating the bocce courts on both the north and south side of the arena, alternatives 3a) and 3b). Both of these alternatives were 7,800 sf. These alternatives did not meet the Bocce clubs requirements. Consequently, the architect was requested to develop an alternative with four courts located side-by-side on the ground level adjacent to the multi-purpose room on the north side of the arena as requested by the Bocce Clubs.
A second meeting was arranged with
the Bocce Clubs. Deputy Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Councilor George McKelvey,
Commissioner Sales, the Project Manager, the Architects, and a number of
officials of both Bocce Clubs attended this meeting.
The Architects presented a Schematic Design containing four side-by-side courts, viewing areas, and a social area, (see Alternative 3 c). The courts were located on the north side of the arenas adjacent to the multi-purpose room. They were connected to the community centre and shared washrooms and some common areas. This alternative expanded the area to 11,045 sf.
The Bocce Clubs were very pleased with this alternative and confirmed it met all their requirements. They also agreed to confirm in writing their commitment to merge into one club and to enter into an operating agreement with the Town. A copy of their letter is included as Appendix “B” of this report.
The proposed location of the bocce
courts would encroach into the current GO Transit parking area and displace
approximately 50 parking spaces. These spots can be replaced by expanding the
parking lot in the area between the existing parking lot and the railway track.
The east limit of the current GO Transit parking area will be shifted to
provide an equivalent number of locations. Furthermore, the existing layout of
the GO Transit parking area will also have to be modified to accommodate the
new building. An amendment to the GO Transit parking agreement will have to be
negotiated if the bocce courts proceed.
A number of trees will have to be
relocated into the remaining grassed area between the parking lot and the
railway tracks.
The proposal to construct the new
bocce courts was presented to the
2.7) There
are four options available to fund the construction of the facility
Internal
Costs $ 180,000
It should be noted that there are
cost efficiencies achieved by constructing the bocce courts as part of the
Centennial Community Centre Expansion rather than as a stand-alone
facility. The facility will share the
entrance, washrooms, and walls, mechanical systems, parking, and viewing areas
with the community centre. This results in a 50% savings in cost over
constructing a stand-alone facility.
The four options available to fund
this facility are discussed below.
a) Development
Charge based funding
The
additional recreational square footage required to accommodate the bocce
proposal can be financed by development charges. However, given the funding
limitations of the Development Charge Act, using development charges to fund
square footage for activities such as bocce courts will divert funding from
core activities such as pools, arenas, youth or senior programming or gym space
that are being proposed in the Recreation, Culture and Libraries Master
Plan. Therefore, funding bocce courts
through development charges will reduce the square footage of space allocated
for the proposed Central East and South Central community centres, which are
unserviced growth areas, by 11,045 square feet, totaling $1,953,600.
Utilizing development charges as the sole funding source will be
precedent setting and will provide the opportunity for other organizations, such
as curling, gymnastics, etc., to request development charges funds to support
their respective facilities. This would
further compound the issue of reducing the square footage of development
charges funds for the proposed two new community centres.
b)
Tax based funding
Tax based funding includes providing funds in the annual capital budget
that would be funded from the tax rate or from reserves. Funding the courts in
this manner will result in stress on the tax rate or deplete the limited
reserves available.
c)
User based funding
This option requires the clubs to make a significant financial
contribution to the capital cost of the courts to reduce the amount of
development charge funding or tax based funding required for the project.
Bocce is not considered to be a core recreational activity in the new
Master Plan. However, the Master Plan does recommend partnerships with
community clubs to construct facilities on Town property. These partnerships would be based on the
clubs agreeing to provide a significant financial contribution to capital cost
of constructing the facility as well as the clubs agreeing to pay for the
operating cost of the facility.
The User based funding option is the preferred option for funding of the
bocce courts as it is consistent with the principles established in the Master
Plan, minimizes the reduction to the development charges available for the
South East and South Central community centres or the amount of tax based
funding required, and does not set a precedent for fully funding of other
clubs.
d)
Combination
of the above
This option would consist of a
combination of the three options discussed above.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
1) The funding sources for the projects have been
determined.
The project cost estimates for the recommended Schematic Design for the
Centennial Community Centre Expansion project, and for the bocce courts project
are included as Appendix “D”.
The total project cost estimate for each of these
components of the project are listed below:
1.1)
New Construction
This cost estimate includes the total project cost for the new construction required to expand the community centre including the new fitness centre, small gymnasium and site work necessary to accommodate the expansion. The total cost for the site work, which includes reconstructing, expanding, reconfiguring, and landscaping the parking lot area to suit the expanded facility, is $715,000. However, $190,000 is included in the Roads capital improvement program and will be shown as a "RENOVATION" cost. The balance, $525,000 ($715,000 - $190,000) is attributable to the new construction.
The preliminary cost per square foot
allowed in the Development Charge Background Study (DC Study) is $229.69. As outlined in Table A, on the next page, the
cost per square foot in the cost estimate for new construction is $293.64. This represents an increase of $63.95 per sf
($293.64 - $229.69) over the DC Study cost per square foot. Over the 23,185 sf area of
the new construction, higher cost per sf results in costs totalling $1,482,681
($63.95/sf * 23,185 sf) in excess of the DC Study.
TABLE A
Thus, of the $6,808,100 cost for
the new construction, $1,482,681 exceeds the preliminary DC Study average. It is not recommended that the $1,482,681 be
funded from development charges as this may bring the development charge
reserve into a deficit position and may not be fully recovered in the next DC
by-law period. The balance, $5,325,419
can be funded 90% ($4,792,877) from development charges, 10% ($532,542) from
the General Capital Reserve.
Two capital projects, totalling $4,080,300 (90% DC:10%
General Capital Reserve), have previously been approved for the Centennial
Community Centre Expansion project. As
outlined in the table below, an additional $2,727,800 is required to fund the
new construction component of the Centennial Community Centre Expansion. The $2,727,800 will be funded from DC's
($1,120,607), General Capital Reserve ($124,512) and the balance ($1,482,681)
from a non-development charge source.
1.2) Renovations
The renovations cannot be financed from the development charges and will have to be funded 100% from taxes. Therefore, the amount of $3,073,600 will be included as a project for consideration with the 2005 (tax-funded) Capital Budget.
1.3) Bocce Courts
The cost estimate for the Centennial Community Centre bocce courts
includes facility and parking lot construction, internal costs and furniture,
fixture & equipment costs totalling $1,953,600.
As outlined in Options/Discussion
section (section 2.7 on page 10), the $1,953,600 required for the bocce courts
have four possible funding sources:
Development Charges, Tax based funding, User based funding and/or a
combination of the other options.
2)
Architect fees
increase due to increase in scope of project.
The amount of the architectural fees awarded to OWST was $319,000. These
fees were for an expansion of 18,000 sf and a renovation of 6,500 sf as defined
in the RFP. It was indicated in the RFP that this project would be completed in
December 2004.
The project recommended in this report consists of an expansion of up to
34,230 sf and renovation of 16,150 sf and the projected completion date of
The fee proposal submitted by OWST
provided for a fee calculated on the basis 6% of the increased construction
estimate cost. This amount would cover the architectural fees including
structural, electrical, and mechanical sub-consultants for additional work not
included in the RFP. This amount did not include for the speciality
sub-consultants required for the project.
As the scope of the project has not been finalized at the time the
report was prepared,
it is
recommended that Finance, and Operations and Asset Management staff be given
the authority to negotiate the additional fees with the architect based on the
final scope of the project and the provisions in the RFP discussed above.
Once these negotiations have been completed, it is recommended that the
Mayor and Clerk be given authority to approve the increased fees and to execute
the architect’s agreement.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The Recreation and Culture Services
Department, Strategic Services Department, Finance Department and the Urban
Design Section of the Planning Department have been consulted in the
preparation of this report.
ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix “A” – Centennial Community Centre – Drawings of the
Alternatives
Appendix “B” - Letter of
Commitment –
Appendix “C” - Description of Architect’s Conceptual Design
Appendix “D” – Project Cost Estimates
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Barb Roth, Director Recreation and Cultural Services |
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Stan Bertoia, P. Eng. General Manager Construction and Utilities |
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Peter Loukes, P. Eng., Director Operations and Asset Management |
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Jim Sales, Commissioner Community and Fire Services |
Q:\Commission Share\Operations and Asset
Management\Reports\2004\C &
U\Report_to_FA_Schematic_Design_for_the_Centennial_Community_Centre_Expansion
June 14 Final.doc
