Cambridge could expand its ice pads for residents if the city antes up $1.24 million in guaranteed ice time purchase at the Cambridge Sports Park.
The money will be spent in buying 2,400 hours of prime time, 200 hours of non-prime time, and 200 hours of summer ice time. The city will also pay $150,000 in annual lease charges. A staff report says this expense will result in a net operating budget impact of $675,000, with an estimated future tax rate impact of 0.71 per cent.
Buckingham Sports Properties Companies, which owns and operates the facility on city-leased lands, has also requested for an exemption from the city’s portion of the development charges and building permit fees, which are $400,000 and $200,000, respectively. The staff report says these charges will be exempt only if the building permit and occupancy permit is obtained as per established schedule.
The report, being brought forward at Tuesday's council meeting, recommends that council direct staff to go ahead with preparing and executing the agreement.
According to the report, Buckingham annually provides 840 hours of free ice time to the city, between Sept. 1 and April 15. The city, in turn, provides these hours to various user groups for revenue. The report adds that this agreement will remain in place.
In return, the report says, Buckingham Sports Properties Companies will spend money to expand the facility it owns and operates on city-leased lands.
The plan, as outlined in the staff report, explains that Buckingham will develop a four pad community rink facility, with 400 and 300-seat rinks, as well as adding 100 seats each to the existing rinks.The new complex will consist of the addition of two NHL-sized ice rinks, 12 new dressing rooms, two referee rooms, fully equipped with showers and washrooms facilities. One of the arenas will also be set up to accommodate the requirements of sledge hockey.
The expansion will also provide 2,000 square feet of secured, accessible, ventilated, and climate-controlled storage/office space for city and sports user groups.
A 2019 staff report established that the cost to build a city-owned twin pad arena was $26 million, which would have to be debt financed, with an operating budget impact of 1.8 per cent to 2.5 per cent. The same year, the city approved the location of a recreation complex with a 25-metre swimming pool, multiple gymnasiums, a fitness track and multi-purpose rooms city-owned lands in southeast Galt.
The meeting begins at 5 p.m. and can be viewed online via the city's YouTube channel.
