With $1.3 million in bank, Charlottetown Curling Club hopes to build new facility in Stratford, P.E.I.
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STRATFORD, P.E.I. — The Charlottetown Curling Membership is planning a brand new facility in Stratford, however funding and a timeline stay up within the air.
Unable to maintain up bills, the membership offered its residence on Euston Avenue in Charlottetown to the province in November of 2021. Earlier than then, it had rented the constructing for just a few months to the province, which turned it into the Neighborhood Outreach Centre.
The sale introduced in $1.55 million for the membership, a few of which was instantly used to repay a number of money owed, mentioned Robbie Younker, membership treasurer, on the group’s AGM for 2022, which was held on Jan. 28, 2023 within the Stratford City Centre.
“We instantly labored in direction of paying off a few of our present collectors — so, mortgage, property tax, some other lingering payments that have been hanging round.”
The remainder of the cash, about $1.3. million, went into a set fee funding, which ought to web the membership a tax-free $43,000 in curiosity over the 2023 fiscal yr. Whereas all of that cash goes to a brand new constructing, it is not practically sufficient to cowl all the pieces, Younker mentioned.
New landlords
As an alternative, the membership is working with the City of Stratford to attempt to safe a stream of federal funding that requires partnership from all three ranges of presidency, however won’t be accessible for an indefinite period of time.
With that, the purpose is to have Stratford personal the brand new facility and the curling membership act as traders within the preliminary construct after which tenants, mentioned Blair Weeks, membership president, on the AGM.
It simply is not possible for the membership to personal and run the entire operation themselves, he mentioned.
“That will not make everybody glad, that we don’t personal it, however if you wish to take a look at our historical past as a facility, we are able to’t afford to run and personal a brand new facility. … We’re not taking place that highway once more.”
Stratford is definitely planning a common sports activities and recreation complicated, which the brand new curling membership could also be a part of. It’s extra interesting to the city to be the owner, and the board needs the membership to be tenants, Younker added.
“It places the membership in the most effective place to succeed by having the city personal the services. I believe it enthused the City of Stratford extra, to be the proprietor of the ability versus a tenant from us that owned. I do know I really feel extra snug the opposite approach, with them proudly owning.”
Whereas these on the AGM mentioned the method is just not on the level of budgets or estimates, Shelley Muzika, board member, did have a breakdown of percentages from the funding the membership hopes to safe.
“The funding we’re taking a look at could be 40 per cent federal {dollars}, 33 per cent provincial {dollars} and the remaining 27 to be spent could be divided between the municipality and the non-profit,” she mentioned.
Unofficial design
On the AGM, Shallyn Murray, architect and accomplice in 9 Yards structure and design studio, introduced a preliminary design for a curling facility with 4 ice surfaces, a convention room and movable public seating space.
The mockup works as proof to totally different governments to indicate the membership is severe and already engaged on the mission, Weeks mentioned.
It additionally provided one thing for the membership to debate and critique on the AGM — which board members did with enthusiasm.
A number of folks famous the instant limitation of 4 ice surfaces, which might forestall internet hosting main tournaments.
Whereas the design is a primary draft and solely supposed as an experiment, Muzika mentioned, it could be doable so as to add extra ice surfaces. However they may price about $1 million for every further sheet every, she mentioned.
Regardless of this progress, Murray and the board members famous just a few instances all of that is early, preliminary and unofficial.
“If we had funding this yr, for instance, going out to RFP for design, like, that’s a yr,” Murray mentioned. “Design could possibly be one other yr, after which building might be, relying on the dimensions of the ability, anyplace between a yr and a half to 3 years. So, I believe the timeline is longer than 2025, whatever the funding.”
