Rocky View County (RVC) is seeking public engagement on the future of recreation facilities in the Springbank area.
An open house was held by the County on June 19th, where more than 100 people from across Springbank came to ask questions and hear plans for the South Springbank Facility Business Case.
The County is working with both the Springbank Park For All Seasons and the Springbank Community Association to explore how recreation projects can be delivered in a way that meets community needs and makes the best use of available land and funding.
Under this direction, Administration has worked with both community groups to create collaborative alternatives for the community's consideration to finalize 'building footprint' opportunities on County-owned land for both the SPFAS Expansion Facility and the Community Event Centre, including cost savings and related alternatives and host a community engagement session to gather input.
This includes evaluating proposed recreation facilities, amenities, timing and phasing, and location options.
RVC Chief Administrative Officer Reegan McCullough said seniors, youth, and new families were all present at the open house, wanting to see recreation projects move forward.
"There was a great turnout and engagement was positive," McCullough said. "We had design art of what could potentially be. We looked at the trade offs that should be considered and there were comments about if we should have two facilities on one site or if they should be separate. But both groups were there to interact with and we certainly had good respondents overall."
The South Springbank Facility Business Case was approved by the Recreation Governance Committee in February 2023 and divided into three phases of priority based on the projected construction timeline:
Phase one includes a community events centre, studio, and multi-purpose room over the next one to five years.
Phase two would see an indoor turf field and running track in the next five to 10 years.
And phase three would be a park for festivals, performances, and civic events totalling a $15 million price tag.
"What doesn't get talked about often enough is a fourth phase for future developments," McCullough said. "With 74 acres, there's room for more amenities down the road."
If anyone wanted to share their opinion but were unable to attend the open house, people can fill out the survey until July 6 by visiting engage.rockyview.ca/recreation-springbank
A presentation will be made to Council based on the information collected at their July 22 meeting.
"For an engagement session, this was a very sound, pleasant community event," McCullough said.
