Norman Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre Feasibility Study

Q&A January 2010 1. What is the purpose of this feasibility study? Why is the City conducting one? The City has a responsibility to ensure that its recreation facilities are meeting current and future community needs. This feasibility study is a recommendation that came out of the Use, Renovation and Replacement Study for Hamilton Recreation Public Use Facilities. Pinky Lewis is a well utilized community facility and does not meet the growing needs of the community. In addition, the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board had indicated that the Sanford Avenue School will become surplus and when the school is demolished it would leave the recreation centre without a gym. The purpose of this feasibility study is not to propose a design for the new recreation centre, but rather to determine the needs of the community, review opportunities for the renewal of Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre, and make recommendations about what facilities should be included in the centre. 2. What is the Use, Renovation and Replacement Study for Hamilton Recreation Public Use Facilities? The study provides a framework and capital plan for recreation infrastructure renewal and development in the short and long term (10 years). Recommendations made in the study report by the consultants were based on detailed assessments that included facility usage, accessibility, age, location, amenities, condition, repair backlog and forecasted capital repairs, and are balanced against public input, demographic analysis of each area of the City and trends research. 3. What recreation facilities were reviewed as part of the Use, Renovation and Replacement Study for Hamilton Recreation Public Use Facilities? 16 community centres/recreation centres 17 indoor pools 8 seniors centres 20 arenas providing 22 ice pads 28 community halls 10 outdoor pools

4. Where can I get more information about that study/a copy of the report? Visit www.hamilton.ca/publicuse. 5. How can I provide input into the Pinky Lewis feasibility study?

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A public meeting is being held at the [place, date, time]. The public is invited to take part in an evening of open discussion about opportunities for the renewal of Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre. 6. What amenities does Pinky Lewis currently have? Pinky Lewis is 19,725 square feet, was constructed in 1981. It has a 6-lane indoor pool, a hot pool, change rooms, three multi-purpose rooms. The Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre shares use of the Sanford Avenue School gymnasia, but it is not included in the area of the recreation centre. 7. What are some amenities that should be considered for Pinky Lewis? The preliminary analysis suggests that the new facility should consist of the existing pools, a replacement double gym, and multi-purpose rooms along with improvements to existing spaces. 8. Where does the school board stand on the Sanford Avenue School issue? Only the school board can comment on where things currently stand with the Sanford Avenue School. It is the Citys desire to work closely with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board as part of the feasibility study to ensure that the current and future recreational needs of the community are met. 9. If the school board decides to demolish the Sanford Avenue School, would the City consider using that building and land? The building would not be useful to the City but the City would consider working with the School Board to use a portion of the land. While there are various factors involved in the decision, the City is interested in expanding the recreation centre on the current site, with a view to enhancing the centres offerings, ie. multi-purpose spaces, change rooms, adequate parking, etc. However, under provincial legislation, there is a defined process that the school board must engage in whereby it must offer any surplus lands to other public organizations in a specific order, and the City is tenth on that list behind other educational institutions.

10. I understand that the City conducted a study of its indoor facilities last year, and is now conducting a study around its outdoor fields and parks. Are the two studies related, and if so, how? The Use, Renovation and Replacement Study for Hamilton Recreation Public Use Facilities (indoor) and the Public Use Outdoor Recreation Facility and Sports Field Provision Study (outdoor), currently being conducted by the City, are interrelated and have cross-committee representation to ensure any key opportunities are identified (ie. community partnerships, opportunities to streamline costs, etc). 12. Is the community in danger of losing its recreation centre? No. The City has a responsibility to ensure that its recreation facilities are meeting current and future community needs, and it is committed to maintaining a recreation centre in this community.

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13. When will the community have a chance to weigh in on the design and features of the new Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre? Public input is a critical component of this feasibility study and will help shape the future of Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre. In this study, we are determining the facilities to be included in the expanded centre. Later, a design study will be conducted and there will be opportunity for public input into the actual design and features of the renewed centre. Details of those opportunities will be shared with the community once they are confirmed. 14. Where will the money come from to renovate the current centre or build a new one? Will my taxes go up? Potential sources of funding will be identified in the course of this feasibility study. Taxes will not go up because of this renovation. The periodic renewal of City facilities is part of its responsibility to meet the needs of the community and the cost of this renewal is included in the Citys capital budget planning. 15. Will the needs for people with physical barriers be addressed in the study? Yes. New or renovated facilities will adhere to physical accessibility standards. 16. Who is MHPM Project Managers? Why and how were they chosen? MHPM is Canadas largest specialist project management company. Established in 1989, their business focus is the delivery of facility projects, across Canada and internationally. They have a multidisciplinary team of 130 expert project management professionals who work on their clients behalf to manage risk, maximize opportunity and achieve success. MHPM was selected by the City as a provider of project management services through a competitive process. 17. Will MHPM be writing the feasibility study report and making the recommendations, or is City staff doing that? The consultants are working closely with City staff on the study, however any recommendations contained in the report are proposed by the consultants. Decisions about next steps will be made by Council. 18. What other recreation centres in Hamilton will undergo feasibility studies? Additional recreation centre feasibility studies are being planned, and more details will be provided as soon as they are available. 19. What are the next steps with respect to the Pinky Lewis feasibility study? The next steps are to consider public input, refine space needs, conduct capital and operating cost analyses, and identify funding and partnership opportunities. The consultants will then prepare a report, for Councils consideration, with recommendations which would include the development of a conceptual design developed in consultation with the community and other stakeholders, followed by technical design and construction. The final decisions lie appropriately with City Council. 20. Will the Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre be demolished and completely rebuilt?

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While that has not been determined at this point, it appears that the existing building is suitable for continued use and it would be economically beneficial to renovate the building. 21. Will the Pinky Lewis Recreation Center remain open during construction and expansion? That cannot be determined until further into the design stage. It is likely that complete closure will be required for some period. It has been noted that there are significant advantages to the community by minimizing the periods that the centre is closed.

51002-3032(1)

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