Here's a first look at the new rec facility proposed in Kitchener

$144M rec complex proposed in south Kitchener CTV’s Colton Wiens hears from Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic about what’s planned.

A new multi-purpose indoor recreation facility is being proposed in the City of Kitchener.

The city is proposing to build a carbon net-zero building at RBJ Schlegel Park, featuring an aquatic centre and an indoor field.

“This is building on the existing RBJ Schlegel Park, which has a splash pad, a number of outdoor sports fields,” Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said.

The proposal includes a FIFA-sized indoor turf field, which can be divided into smaller fields and host sports like soccer, cricket and lacrosse.

Also included in the proposal is an aquatics centre with a community leisure pool and a separate lane pool, a walking track and a multipurpose room. The city also wants to install an indoor cricket batting cage to support the year-round development of athletes.

In 2019, the city council did a study on what amenities were needed in the community. Vrbanovic said aquatic facilities and indoor sports fields were the most important to residents.

“This new facility will include an aquatic complex, indoor sports fields, and have expansion space for a future gymnasium, as well as a walking track in the building that's being proposed,” Vrbanovic said.

Vrbanovic said the Greenfield area of Kitchener is the fastest growing part of the city. He said council is aiming to intensify growth in the city, with 60 per cent or more of growth focused along major transit areas and the other 40 per cent aimed at developing Greenfield.

Not only would this facility serve residents in the southwest corner of Kitchener, Vrbanovic said it will also be used by residents across the city.

The proposal is to make the facility a carbon net-zero building. The city wants to use a geothermal heating and cooling system, and install Kitchener’s largest array of solar panels. The city said that would reduce 22 tonnes of carbon and save around $100,000 in utility costs annually.

“We believe that this will be one of the leading, if not one of the best facilities of its kind in Canada in terms of that,” Vrbanovic said.

The facility is expected to cost $144 million, but have no impact on municipal taxes. It would be funded using previous federal and provincial grants, along with development charges. It would also be the first time the city has used an integrated project delivery model, which employs a multi-party contract to align contractors early on in the project in order to define values and design to cost.

“Taking that approach actually allows you to bring the various contractor groups and so on into the process early on. So as you're developing the project, you have a much better sense. By doing that at this point, we estimate that we've at least saved $7 million so far,” Vrbanovic said.

The project will go to the Community and Infrastructure Services Committee for consideration on Monday, followed by city council in April. If approved by the committee and council, the city hopes to have shovels in the ground by May, and the project finished by late spring or early summer 2026.