Muskoka Lumber Community Centre
The development of the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre (MLCC) offers a new and exciting opportunity for Bracebridge in creating a new, multi-purpose venue, we are ensuring that our community will have new gathering spaces built to fit their needs for generations. The co-location of facilities and services offers the opportunity for a landmark multi-use community centre, providing the community with a state-of-the-art, multi-generational "social hub" that consolidates community activities and services under one roof.
The community’s vision of the MLCC is one of service and use to our community: we envision a space used by the entire community. Our sports-related facilities; arena, multi-sport fieldhouse, outdoor courtyard, play space and playground will service recreational groups of all ages, and also complement the infrastructure of local schools. While our library, auditorium, concession and other group-meeting spaces will be used by special interest clubs, service clubs, arts and cultural groups, and local businesses. In short, everyone in Bracebridge and our surrounding communities will have good reasons to use these new facilities.
Location: Extension of Salmon Avenue
Project Contact: Cindy O’Regan, Director of Recreation 705-645-3037 or coregan@bracebridge.ca
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Sponsorship & Donation Opportunities
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On June 28, 2021, the Province announced that it is investing $16,862,234 toward the MLCC through the Strategic Priorities Infrastructure Fund (SPIF) – Priority Local Infrastructure stream. The remaining funds will be provided by the Town of Bracebridge, in part by public fundraising.
As we move forward with construction of the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre, we invite the community to invest in Bracebridge’s future with us.
The Town of Bracebridge is undergoing a community fundraising campaign to facilitate the funding of the project.
Sponsorship and naming rights opportunities, community donations, Take a Seat in the Arena or Name a Library Stack are all part of the community fundraising program.
Sponsorship and Naming Rights Opportunities
The Arena and Fieldhouse team rooms, Fieldhouse score clock, Library rooms and spaces, outdoor playground, and Sports Hall of Fame are available for sponsorship and naming rights by individuals and business.
Contact Cindy O’Regan, Director of Recreation corgegan@bracebridge,ca or Crystal Bergstrome Crystal.Bergstrome@bracebridgelibrary.ca to get involved in this transformational community project.
Opportunities for the community to get involved by taking a seat, naming a library stack, or providing a donation to the new community centre will be announced shortly.
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Muskoka Lumber Community Centre Renderings
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Site and Facilities
Auditorium
Lobby
ArenaWarm Viewing Gallery
Field House
Library
Playground
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Site Construction Images
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Project Funding Summary
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Over many years, the Town has been proactively building financial capacity for the express purpose of undertaking the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre project. We have stockpiled reserves to near historical highs, actively pursued senior government grant opportunities, and created significant capacity within our existing tax levy to support recurring principal and interest payments on new debentures. Collectively, these measures should help mitigate the impact of the facility’s construction on the Town’s property tax rates.
Like all large municipal infrastructure projects, the Town must wait for the results of its tender process before receiving committed pricing on the facility’s construction work. The Town expects this to occur in the third quarter of 2021. However, based on an estimate provided by an independent consultant, the Town’s currently expects the facility’s construction to cost approximately $59.7 million, including all hard and soft costs of the general contractor, as well as site enabling works, contingencies, and various other costs. Of this, the Town has successfully secured a grant to cover up to $16,862,234 of eligible costs through the Ontario Government’s Strategic Priorities Infrastructure Fund (SPIF). The Town intends to fund the remaining costs using a mix of debentures, internal reserves, sponsorships, donations and other potential grant opportunities.
The Town is planning to support the majority of the required debentures using its $1,190,000 annual transfer to the Major Maintenance Reserve. The Town has been prudently increasing the size of this annual transfer in recent years with the goal of ultimately leveraging it to finance the construction of the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre. The Town also has the ability to redirect part of its annual Lakeland dividend to cover additional principal and interest payments, as needed.
Using debentures will allow the Town to take advantage of the current ultra-low interest rate environment for municipal debt. It will also enable the Town to attain a more equitable recovery of the facility’s upfront capital costs among current and future residents. The Town intends to keep its annual debt repayment obligations comfortably below the statutory limit imposed on Ontario municipalities. As a further measure of prudence, the Town intends to hold no less than approximately $5 million in discretionary reserves as a safeguard against unexpected events during construction.
We will provide further updates regarding the Town’s funding strategy as the project evolves.
Project Contact: Paul Judson, Director of Finance/Treasurer 705-645-6319 ext. 262 pjudson@bracebridge.ca
Project Contact: Cindy O’Regan, Director of Recreation 705-645-3037 or coregan@bracebridge.ca
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Project Stages and Reporting
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Community Engagement Results
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe summarized feedback from the two (2) Community Engagement Sessions held on February 4, 2020, as well as the results of the Community Engagement on-line survey is summarized here.
