Along with the homes springing up in the south end of the village, Breslau residents will watch this summer as a new community centre takes shape. Construction should begin June 1 on the $2.2 million project, which Woolwich council last week awarded to Gateman-Milloy Inc.
The 10,000-square-foot structure will be joined to the existing Empire Communities Ltd. sales office, which is to be turned over to the township when the 475-home subdivision is built out.
The Ventin Group Architects’ final design came after a long process of consultation with residents and the Breslau Recreation Association.
While the final price tag, the lowest of 12 bids, was some $460,000 higher than budgeted for, the financing is still workable, director of recreation and facilities Larry Devitt told councillors. Changes to the development charges formula, plus community fundraising in excess of the original $330,000 target will reduce the gap to $106,000.
The community also expects to continue fundraising, taking the campaign directly to residents, as most of the appeals so far have been to businesses, said rec. association president Lisa Nadon.
Added past-president Loretta Dunn, “We’re confident the community centre will be well used and be quite profitable.”
Given new economic stimulus programs at the federal and provincial levels, the township will be looking for infrastructure money for the project, which is shovel-ready and should be completed by year’s end.
Leading up to the start of construction, the township will be negotiating with the contractor to sharpen its pencil in order to bring costs closer to the original budget, Devitt said in an interview. Woolwich has yet to sign the contract with Gateman-Milloy.
Whatever the funding arrangements, however, construction will start as scheduled.
A 10,000-square-foot gymnasium/community centre will be built to complement the existing sales pavilion erected by Empire Communities. That structure is 3,600 sq. ft.; with the basement included, it provides about 7,000 sq. ft.
Under a deal made with the township in 2006, the company located the facility at Breslau Memorial Park with the intention of selling it to the municipality for $2 when the subdivision is built out.
