
Will a redeveloped Mount Boucherie Community Centre include a gymnasium?
That's a question West Kelowna city council will wrestle with when they are provided with options for the new community centre Tuesday.
Originally built in 1974, the Mount Boucherie Community Centre was repurposed to accommodate city hall more than a decade ago with the understanding it would be returned to the community once a new, permanent city hall was built.
With the new city hall and library set to open later this spring, council is now tasked with deciding what the new community centre will look like.
It's already been determined the new facility will include 80 child care spaces after the city was successful in securing $3 million in funding from the ChildCare BC New Spaces Fund in conjunction with BGC Okanagan.
A report for council shows a new community centre will include 16 permanent and 64 after-school child care spaces, multi-purpose rooms, banquet hall and kitchen. meeting rooms, classroom spaces, programming spaces. fitness and rental spaces and upgraded washrooms.
Office space for city facilities and recreation departments will also be included since those departments will remain in the community centre where they traditionally were.
According to the report the refurbishment of the city hall could be completed using the $3 million grant funding as well as approximately $680,000 in reserve funds available.
A new gymnasium
Along with the features outlined in the report, an expanded option including a 7,000 square foot gymnasium was also put forward.
Staff recommend the gym be constructed on the north side of the centre where city hall portables are presently situated.
The report suggests the north side is better suited that the south side due to constraints caused by the mountain.
However, adding the gym would also increase the overall cost well above the $3.68 million presently available.
"The updated cost estimates received started at over $4.7 million to complete both the MBCC renovation and the gymnasium addition," the report states.
Council will be asked for their recommendation and approve completion of a progressive design build for the restoration funded through the 2023 capital budget.
