Tache Community Centre plans shovels in the ground this fall
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This article was published 20/05/2024 (360 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The sign is up for the planned new arena and library in Lorette.
The hope from Tache council and staff is to get shovels in the ground this fall and open the doors in spring 2026.
“The sign is up, this is a real thing. I know that in the community there’s been speculation about whether this project is actually going to happen or not. So we’re here today to dispel that speculation and let you know that we’re working hard to make this a reality for our community,” said CAO Ken Allen at the Tache financial plan public hearing May 14.
He said tenders are to go out this fall.
“It is an aggressive schedule but it needs to be,” he added.
Residents will get a chance at the May 28 public hearing to have their say on up to $6 million of borrowing for the $29.5-million Tache Community Centre.
The rest of the money will be split thusly: $4.63 million in federal grants, $8.67 million in provincial grants, $1.2 million from the Manitoba Hydro Community Development Initiative reserve, $3.72 million from the Canada Community Building Fund (formerly called the gas tax) reserve, $3.05 million from Tache’s capital improvement at large reserve, $373,287 from the Tache Complex reserve, $1.5 million from Lorette LUD’s capital and surplus reserves, and $349,500 from the Seniors Club.
Finance officer Cheryl Harder stressed the $6 million loan and using that much from reserves is a worst-case scenario.
“So not only are we trying to get the cost down, but we’re also going to have some fundraising initiatives this year,” said Harder.
Allen reinforced the point.
“We’re not looking at borrowing $6 million if we can help it. We’re looking at borrowing as little as possible,” said Allen.
The design approved by council in October includes a new arena with six changerooms, library with children’s corner, seniors space, commercial kitchen, bar, two-lane walking track, seniors centre, social activity hall, sports activity hall for things like taekwondo and dryland training, meeting room, conference room, and media room.
The two-storey centre will have a $750,000 elevator included in the pricetag, though an outdoor terrace and patio area was taken out to save money. The arena would have enough bleachers to seat 300.
BLDR Consulting has been hired to find ways to save money.
“They’re giving us solid advice on where we can trim things back and still deliver the services,” said Allen.
“We’re shooting hard to bring it down by $10 million,” he said.
When federal and provincial funding was announced in January 2023, the cost was optimistically estimated at $11 million for a 62,000-sq.-ft. arena and 8,000-sq.-ft. library.