City envisions a new Parkinson Rec Centre could offer nearly three times the space of the current facility

Photo: City of Kelowna

A new facility to replace the aging Parkinson Rec Centre is expected to be built in the coming few years.

What that building will look like, where it will be built and, most importantly, the cost, is expected to be determined over the next few months.

An update on the process will be shared with city council Monday.

Included in that is a proposed estimate of the size of a new facility.

It's estimated the proposed functional square footage of a new PRC would come in at about 136,000 square feet, more than two-and-a-half times the nearly 52,000 square feet of the current facility.

The largest increase in space is anticipated within athletic programming, which envisions one competitive gymnasium, two recreational gyms, and a fitness centre.

The present facility has just one gym and a fitness centre.

The aquatic area, change rooms and washrooms would increase slightly in size while programming and administrative spaces could increase by 50 per cent.

The estimated cost of replacing the Parkinson Rec Centre is north of $130 million, but a schematic design process,expected to be conducted through the spring and summer is expected to nail down those costs.

"In the current market conditions of rapid cost escalation, priority setting and cost management will be an important element of the schematic design," Monday's report states.

A determination of exactly where a new rec centre will be located is also expected to be determined in the coming months.

While council is expected to be presented with several options, it's believed the facility will be built within the current footprint of the overall Parkinson Rec Centre area.

That could include space to the north owned by School District 23.

Discussions between the city and the school district around shared space within a new rec centre and high school are continuing.