Report to/Rapport au :
Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee
Comité de la santé, des loisirs et
des services sociaux
Submitted by/Soumis par : Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager/Directeur
municipal adjoint,
Community and Protective Services/Services communautaires et de
protection
Contact
Person/Personne ressource : Aaron Burry, Director
Parks and Recreation/Parcs et Loisir
(613) 580-2424 x23666, Aaron.Burry@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
UTILISATION Ŕ VENIR DU
BELLTOWN DOME
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REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee receive this report for information.
RECOMMANDATION DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux prenne connaissance du présent rapport.
BACKGROUND
As part of
2005 budget deliberations in February 2005, a Motion was put forward to
decommission Belltown Dome at the end of the winter 2004/2005 season. The Motion was referred to the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee to evaluate options for the future use of Belltown Dome.
Belltown Dome is a refrigerated ice surface covered by a metal dome roof. It was constructed circa 1978 in the Britannia Woods community near Britannia beach and is known for its unique geodesic appearance. The closest City of Ottawa indoor ice surface is 4 km away (Barbara Ann Scott Arena) and the nearest community centre is approximately one km away (Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre). The Dome’s sole ice surface (60x160’) is smaller than standard NHL (85X200’) and Olympic size (98.5x200’) ice surfaces. There are two permanent change rooms (standard arenas have between four and six per ice surface), and two additional “temporary” exterior change areas added during the winter season. Due to lack of insulation, the ice pad in the facility is able to operate five months of the year compared to seven to eleven months for all other arenas. During the spring and summer ball hockey groups are the primary users of the facility.
A suitability assessment review was completed in the fall of 2002, and two subsequent condition audits of the facility were conducted in 2002 and 2004. Staff initially recommended the decommissioning of the facility as an arena prior to 2007 as a consequence of the pending life cycle maintenance which indicated substantial financial investment.
In anticipation of the Dome closing in 2007, during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, the Parks and Recreation branch relocated all minor groups with regular bookings at Belltown Dome to other facilities. The groups who remain at Belltown are adult recreational groups, or minor groups booking extra or new ice time. Usage in 2005/2006 winter season (November-March) showed 1136 hours, all in primetime. [1] Included in the usage was 10 hours/week of Public Skating. This equates to a utilization rate of primetime hours of 76%. The facility also had 397 hours (24% utilization) of “slab” usage in 2005 (April – October) with two thirds of the usage occurring from late April until the end of June.
In preparation for the 2006 and 2007 budgets, RPAM and Parks and Recreation staff re-evaluated the condition of Belltown Dome and the options for future use. An updated condition audit was completed and RPAM refined the lifecycle forecast to reflect the most critical renewal needs.
DISCUSSION
Belltown Dome requires significant lifecycle investment ($1.1 million) over the next 20 years to continue to operate. This investment, however, is comparable to the lifecycle costs of other City ice pads. As a minimum investment, to continue to operate the facility in the short-term (three years) requires an immediate injection of $55,000 to replace the current ice condenser. Staff also explored a range of long-term options for future use of the facility from minimal upgrades to building a new community centre. This report outlines the investment required for the short-term three-year option and several longer term options for the facility over the next 20 years.
The usage of Belltown Dome facility is restricted as a result of its design and physical limitations and very dependent on weather conditions. The domed roof and walls are not insulated which affects both the efficiency (operating costs) of the building and its usage options. The undersized ice surface, shortage of change rooms, and lack of usable common areas also restrict usage because they fall below the minimum standards for many organized user groups.
The lack of insulation limits use of Belltown Dome in both the summer and the winter. During the winter, Belltown Dome can only operate as a refrigerated ice surface for the five coldest months of the year when outside temperature is adequately cold to maintain the ice. During the summer, the facility is extremely hot and therefore its usage is also limited. Ball hockey is the primary user during the spring and summer months, however the conditions inside the facility are less than ideal for any type of sport or activity.
With no insulation Belltown Dome is less energy efficient than other City refrigerated ice surfaces. On average, arenas recover approximately 76% of their operational costs through fees. The Belltown Dome recovers 69% of operational costs. At $11.22/SqFt/Yr, Belltown Dome operational costs compare well to the other seasonal stand alone ice pads ($14.24 avg); but costs would increase significantly to be the least efficient of City of Ottawa ice pads, if it were feasible to operate the ice surface for a longer period of the year. Due to the small size of the arena and the shorter operating period, the total operational costs are lower than other arenas, and overall the net cost to the City of operating Belltown Dome (not including lifecycle costs) is approximately $55,000 per year. Other stand-alone arenas cost the City approximately $100,000 per year.
Staff explored a range of options for the Belltown Dome building and site as summarized in Table 1.
Table 1
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Short-term Minimal Cost
Option |
Cost Breakdown |
Evaluation |
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A. Maintain the
building as an arena with no improvements (maintain for 3 years through 2010) Note: a
long-term decision must be made in 2010 due to significant required lifecycle
costs. |
Required Initial Cost: $55,000 ·
$55,000 – replace ice plant condenser Short-term lifecycle: $143,000 ·
$88,000
(2007) - repair roof panels and reseal seams; exterior, interior, emergency
lighting; snow shields ·
$55,000
(2008) - replace brickwork at entrance alcoves ·
If facility
life is not extended past 2010 the lifecycle dollars in 2007 and 2008 may be
avoided. |
·
Lowest
immediate cost ·
Allows
Belltown Dome to continue as an arena for 3 years. ·
User input
indicates dissatisfaction with condition of building (temporary and portable
dressing rooms, no crush space or gathering area) ·
Lack of
space for the community ·
Allows for
continued evaluation of future site development options |
|
Long-term Upgrade Option |
Cost Breakdown |
Evaluation |
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B. Maintain the
building as an arena with minor improvements to increase functionality and
add additional programming space |
Required Initial Cost: $825,000 ·
$432,000 -
Additional 1200 sq.ft. changeroom space to replace portables currently being
used ·
$338,000 -
Additional 900 sq.ft. usable
community space/common areas ·
$55,000 – replace ice plant condenser. Short-term lifecycle: $143,000 ·
$88,000
(2007) - repair roof panels and reseal seams; exterior, interior, emergency
lighting; snow shields ·
$55,000
(2008) - replace brickwork at entrance alcoves Long-term lifecycle
(2010-2020)2: $1.1 million (see
below) ·
In 2010, it
must be determined whether to continue as an arena. |
·
Only
recommended if facility will be in operation past 2010 ·
Benefits
both ice users and the local community ·
Phase I of
larger strategic facility plan to address need for indoor recreation space ·
Most
cost-effective upgrade option |
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Alternate Long-term Options |
Cost Breakdown |
Evaluation |
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C. Maintain the building as an arena with
major improvements (insulation, heating, air conditioning) |
Total Required Cost: $2.85–3.69 million (2010 dollars) ·
$1.1
million- Future Lifecycle ·
$1,755,000
- $2,590,000 - retrofit with current ice slab; change rooms, community room ,
new ventilation, insulation (range dependent on whether change room/community
rooms were installed in 2007) |
·
Not best
value for investment; new building on site more reasonable ·
Will
increase operational costs due to heating and cooling costs ·
Upgrade is
not contemplated in the LRFP |
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D. Maintain the
building but decommission the arena (retrofit) (alternative programming as
indoor recreational space) |
Total Required Cost: $4.3–5.15 million (2010
dollars) ·
$839,000 –
changeroom/community space (dependent on whether installed in 2007) ·
$3,333,500
– insulate roof; new heating, ventilation, air conditioning ·
$315,000 –
retrofit for non-arena use ·
$661,000 –
gymnasium installation |
·
Possible
long-term strategy for the site ·
Loss of ice
time would negatively impact ice users citywide ·
Better
investment would be to build a new facility for comparable dollars ·
Not
contemplated in the LRFP |
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E. Redevelop the
site with a combination of indoor/outdoor recreational space (new community
centre) |
Total
Required Cost: $5.65 million (2010
dollars) ·
$134,000 –
demolition ·
$5,517,000
– new community centre, gym and community space |
·
Possible
long-term strategy ·
Loss of ice
time would negatively impact ice users citywide ·
Preferable
to previous retrofit option ·
Not
contemplated in the LRFP |
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F. Replace the
Belltown Dome with a new arena at an alternate site |
Total Required Cost: $12 million (2010 dollars) |
·
Cost of
purchasing land prohibitive ·
Likely no
longer serve the local community ·
Not
contemplated in the LRFP |
As noted in Table 1, the Belltown Dome ice surface could operate for three years in its current form by implementing the short-term minimal cost option (option A) with only a minor investment ($55,000) in the ice plant condenser. However, if the facility is to be maintained past 2010, longer-term options must be considered either now or prior to 2010. The most affordable longer-term option (option B) provides, in addition to the ice plant condenser, immediate minor improvements to the facility by adding change rooms (to replace the portable change rooms) and needed community space. This option should be considered as an initial phase in a long-term plan as significant lifecycle dollars ($1.1 million) are projected for Belltown Dome through 2020. This option is the least expensive upgrade option that meets the needs of the immediate community (for additional community space) and ice users Citywide with details as follows:
With minor lifecycle injections in 2007 and 2008, either the upgrade option or the three-year minimal cost option should ensure the continued operation of Belltown Dome as a refrigerated ice surface for three years before requiring further major ice related lifecycle renewal. In 2010, staff estimates that approximately $211,500 in lifecycle will be required to maintain the facility as a refrigerated ice surface. There is, however, the possibility due to the age of the building that an unforeseen mechanical or structural problems may arise prior to 2010, which will put pressure on RPAMs limited lifecycle renewal budget meaning a greater portion of the lifecycle dollars will need to be advanced sooner.
Either option would not improve the general user comfort within the arena, nor increase annual operating efficiency, as the City will not be insulating the structure. It should also be noted that the three-year minimum cost option leaves open all possible long-term strategies for Belltown Dome (i.e. retrofit the building with ice pad (C) without the ice pad (D) or redevelop the site with a new community centre (E)). Upgrade option (B) also leaves open both long-term retrofit options; however, while this option does not eliminate the possibility for redeveloping the site with a new community centre, it would mean the investment made in new change rooms and community space would be lost, due to the short lifespan of the upgrades.
The timelines for the long-term upgrade option B are as follows:
Design (4-6 months) October to December 2006
Budget Approval February 2007
Tender (6-8 weeks) February/March 2007
Construction Begins June 2007
Construction Complete October 2007
The construction should not require closure of the facility, and would therefore take place largely while the facility continues to operate.
CONSULTATION
The options outlined in this report were presented to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) at its meeting of April 25. PRAC supported an investment consistent with Option B of this report.
The Ward Councillor was consulted during the development of this
report and is supportive of the upgrade option consistent with Option B of this
report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
This information report has no direct financial implications. The options outlined in this report that provide for the upgrade and continued use of the Belltown Dome are not contemplated within the City’s Long Range Financial Plan (LRFP) and are not presently included on the Department’s work plan.
DISPOSITION
Community and Protective Services, Parks and Recreation Branch and Corporate Services, Real Property and Asset Management to action and receive direction as part of the consideration of this report.
[1] The City of Ottawa defines primetime ice as Monday to Friday 4pm to 11pm and Saturday and Sunday 6am to 11pm.
2$211,500 (2010) –
replace rink board/safety glass; baseboard heaters; floor matting; gas
detection system
$5,000 (2013) – replace tile
flooring in office
$237,000 (2015) – replace
compressor, brine pump and brine headers ($185,000); replace exhaust fan units;
Zamboni heaters and tank
$513,000 (2018) – replace
exterior metal panels ($500,000)
$93,000 (2020) – replace ducts louvers; water distribution