Maple Ridge’s new council got a refresher last week on the multi-million-dollar recreation re-do that will bring new playing fields, mini-parks and a fresh sheet of ice to the city, at a borrowing cost of $49.5 million.
As to whether the city will have to go to the bank for that full amount depends on the arrangement worked out between the city and RG Properties, which owns Planet Ice.
The recreation upgrade includes borrowing $23.5 million to build a new arena next to the existing Planet Ice facility. But the exact kind of arrangement that will be worked out between the city and RG Properties remains a complex work in progress.
Recreation general manager Kelly Swift said that the city and RG Properties are looking at range of options, any of which must fit in with the existing agreement – where the City of Maple Ridge buys ice time for minor sports from RG Properties‘ existing arenas.
“We’re still in discussions right now,” she said Tuesday, adding an update will go to council in a few weeks.
“There’s an existing agreement in place, so there are some obligations attached to that existing agreement,” Swift said.
“That’s why we’re in discussions right now. We’re exploring all the different alternatives.”
Coun. Gordy Robson said one possibility is that RG Properties could just build the new arena, and lease the ice out to the city, as it does with the other two ice sheets.
“I think that’s one of the avenues being negotiated,” Robson said.
Other sources of cash could incrementally reduce the city’s total borrowing tally.
“Will we need to borrow it all?” asked chief financial officer Trevor Thompson. “Depending on much, we rely on community amenity charges, we may be able to reduce the amount we borrow,” he told council’s Nov. 27 workshop.
The city, in 2016, introduced community amenity charges, years after most cities, that asks developers to pay an additional flat fee for every new home built.
To build a condo, for example, a developer would have to pay an extra $3,100. Such charges have already raised $5.5 million for city coffers.
Robson added the community amenity charges are a “fundamental change” for the city.
“This change we’ve made is going to allow us to continue on with projects like this,” he said.
He added that other revenue sources could help with the costs as the facilities are built.
“We’re not committed to that borrowing at this stage, unless we need it to complete the projects,” Robson said.
The city got the OK last February to borrow $49.5 million for: a new arena at Planet Ice in the Albion flats at a cost of $23.5 million; a new Albion community centre, $8.5 million; two all-weather fields next to Thomas Haney secondary, $7 million; lobby and changeroom re-dos at the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre, $3.5 million; upgrades to Hammond Community Centre and Maple Ridge secondary track, at $2.5 million each; two mini-parks in Silver Valley, $1 million; and improvements to the Whonnock Lake canoe and kayak facility, $1 million.
However, other money from community amenity charges is topping up the costs of some of those projects.
Taxpayers approval came via the alternative approval process, as part of which at least 10 per cent of voters have to oppose a project in order to defeat it.
“This is the largest investment infrastructure for sports and recreation for Maple Ridge in many years. It’s a really significant investment,” Swift told council.
“This is a really exciting time for this community,” added chief administrator Paul Gill.
To pay for the borrowing, homeowners will see their property taxes jump yearly by .35 per cent a year, for seven years, to pay for a recreation improvement levy.
Seven years of cumulative increases of .35 each year, will add up to another $60 a year for the average home at the end of that period.
Parks manager Valoree Richmond told council that improvements to the Maple Ridge secondary track and the Whonnock Lake kayak and canoe facility are two priorities in order to prepare for when Maple Ridge hosts the 2020 B.C. Summer Games.
Installing lights at the track, next to the new Karina LeBlanc Field, will allow people to use the track at night, during the winter.
When the two all-weather new fields, now being built next to Thomas Haney secondary, are added to the two new all-weather fields (Karina LeBlanc and Golden Ears elementary) and two other all-weather fields at Westview and Samuel Robertson Technical that are already open, there will be “an amazing impact to user groups,” Richmond said.
Boys and girls’ lacrosse teams are already on the full-size lacrosse and soccer field at Golden Ears elementary. The field was completed earlier this fall.
“They’re very appreciative of this field. They’ve been on it constantly since it opened up,” said Richmond.
The new all-weather fields at Thomas Haney secondary will include changerooms and a concession building, she added.
Each all-weather field can achieve the capacity of seven natural turf fields.
Operating costs for each facility are already budgeted in.
The presentation given to council showed that the projects will cost a total of $75 million.
That figure is based on borrowing $49.5 million, with another $6 million from community amenity charges, topping up some of those projects.
As well, separately funded projects using reserves, such as the Karina Leblanc and Golden Ears all-weather fields ($6.6 million) the main part of the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre renovation ($8.9 million) contingency and site work costs ($3 million) and .785 million for equipment, push the total cost for new the recreation to $75 million.
However, that includes facilities that were funded by internal savings and for which borrowing wasn’t required, such as $6.6 million spent on the Karina Leblanc and Golden Ears fields, with other costs unknown.
