SUNDRE – Although a new sportsplex won’t be built any time too soon, the municipality has nevertheless identified such a facility as a long-term goal.
“It’s part of our 10-year capital plan,” said Chris Albert, director of corporate services.
The town’s current version of the plan, which gets approved annually by council, was reapproved this past December and goes from 2025 to 2034, he told the Albertan.
The first half of the plan is more detailed and individually lists each year with an outline of anticipated projects, their estimated costs, and where the funding will come from, he said.
“In the second half once we get to 2030 to 2034, we still have the projects, but we don’t have the costs,” he said.
Looking five years ahead to 2030 and beyond, the municipality has already identified a number of priority projects, he said.
“There’s going to be infrastructure projects based on the underground assessments that was done, there’s vehicles that are going to hit their useful life maximum,” he cited as examples.
But then there are also other items that factor into the future vision of Sundre.
“In 2030, we also have a permanent dog park,” he said.
Of course looking that far ahead makes precisely predicting costs and timelines uncertain, he said.
“This isn’t set in stone; it does fluctuate because it is more than five years out. But you know, we’re targeting 2030 for a permanent dog park, because we know we're going to need one,” he said.
“It might happen in 2031, it might happen in 2032. But it’s putting it in and giving it that timeframe.”
Jumping down to the last item outlined on the capital plan for 2034, is a new sports facility.
“After we do all of our infrastructure projects that we have to do and all the critical stuff, we do have down there a new sportsplex.”
Naturally, accurately estimating the cost of such an undertaking one decade in advance is unfeasible.
“We don’t know what the costs are going to be,” he said.
“That new sportsplex, or some of these other things may move down in the list and may still be pushed out. But it’s really recognizing that we have these items,” he said.
“It’s making sure that we don’t lose track of those wish-list items.”
Since the capital plan specifically states a sportsplex, Albert was asked if the project would ultimately entail more than an indoor arena.
“It would, yes,” he said. “The long-term vision would be that it is actually a sportsplex.”
In some form or fashion, the facility could encompass not only an arena, but possibly also a curling rink and a swimming pool as well as other amenities like a rock-climbing wall or an indoor pickleball court.
“It also depends on what happens with other facilities,” he added. “Maybe the Aquaplex is determined to be good for another number of years, and we don’t have to incorporate a new swimming pool into this. Or maybe we do.”
However, being so far down the proverbial road, what such a facility might ultimately feature and where it would be located will in large part be determined through community engagement.
“That would be all part of the planning to come in the future,” he said.
“Maybe we leave the existing arena and refurbish it and build a new sportsplex somewhere else that is an additional facility,” he said.
“Currently, it’s 10 years out. So, there’s still a lot of work and a lot of thought that has to go into it because any sort of sportsplex is a large price tag,” he said.
After all, coming up with cost estimates today for a project planned a decade from now would be an exercise in futility as there will undoubtedly be substantial and unpredictable cost escalations along the way.
Click here to view the municipality’s 10-year capital plan.
