Muskoka Lumber Community Centre
Through many years of work, Bracebridge has developed comprehensive plans to replace the Town's 70-year-old Memorial Arena and 111-year-old Public Library with a much needed regional community hub, which, in addition to the arena, auditorium, and library replacements, will include a multi-sport field house (double-sized gymnasium with track) that will support a wide variety of community uses. Other amenities include a concession, outdoor playground, trails, open spaces, parking, and an area retained for a future second arena.
The Town strongly believes that the new facility supports both present and future community needs. The new facility will also enhance opportunities for community engagement, learning, culture, recreation, sport, and tourism, all in an inclusive and accessible environment.
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Project Summary
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkLocation: Extension of Salmon Avenue
Funding: The total project is estimated to cost $59.7 million. Of this, on June 28 2021 the Government of Ontario announced that it is investing $16,862,234 million toward this project through the Strategic Priorities Infrastructure Fund (SPIF) – Priority Local Infrastructure stream.
Estimated Opening: Summer 2023
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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Master Site Concept
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Site and Facilities
Auditorium
Lobby
Arena
Warm Viewing Gallery
Playground
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Site Construction
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkPhotos of the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre naming rights announcement July 13, 2021
Photos of the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre site
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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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Sponsorship & Donation Opportunities
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The Town of Bracebridge is engaged with Performance Sponsorship Group to provide sponsorship, naming rights and advertising services for the new Muskoka Lumber Community Centre (MLCC) and the Bracebridge Sportsplex for the purpose of minimizing the impact on taxpayers.
Why sell naming rights?
- Helps fund the facilities that improve the quality of life for residents and visitors;
- Successful long-term relationships will realize continued revenues to the municipality to off-set operating costs;
- Provides a significant opportunity for businesses to show support for their community;
- Shared goals and values of the municipality and sponsor can increase brand awareness for both;
- Savings to the municipality with products, supplies and services from the sponsor; and
- Helps repay long-term borrowing.
Project Benefits and Possibilities
- Replace the aged facilities with a new, publicly available and fully accessible, integrated Muskoka Lumber Community Centre, which includes a single pad arena, auditorium, public library, multi-sport field house, lobby, playground, outdoor play space, trail, and on-site parking.
- 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 recreation and library services under one roof.
- The new Muskoka Lumber Community Centre is designed with inherent flexibility to ensure longevity, allowing adaptation to emerging trends and demographic changes over time.
- Additionally, AODA compliance and opportunities for enhanced accessibility considerations to facilitate accessible programming with a markedly aging population will be realized.
- Individuals and families can participate in health, wellness, sport, recreation, learning, personal development, cultural, and entertainment activities under one roof.
- The common areas, both indoor and outdoor, encourage both active and passive participation, as well as safe spaces for interacting, mixing and meeting.
- The new modern arena, with a regulation size ice surface and appropriate and accessible seating, will satisfy existing arena demand, while providing new opportunities for year-round programming, including concerts, special events, trade shows, camps and tournaments.
- The new multi-sport field house will support athletic use, wellness programs, tournaments, public assembly, children/youth camps, cultural events, trades shows and other emerging activities. Seniors, preschoolers, families and school-aged children (from a nearby school that lacks gymnasium space) will have day-time access to accessible and integrated programs, such as pickleball, indoor lawn bowling, creative play, parent and tot gym time, etc. Evening programs will provide children, youth, adults, seniors and families with a broad range of programs and activities.
- The new enlarged and modern Library will have multi-generational spaces, including dedicated computer lab/training rooms, maker space, a music recording studio and dedicated children's zone, which will foster personal, social and cultural development within the community.
- The Muskoka Lumber Community Centre reflects the needs of residents, fosters social cohesion, strengthens livability and brings strong economic benefits to the community.
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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.
