Parkinson Rec Centre replacement moves a step closer

KELOWNA – A plan which could one day see a replacement for the Parkinson Recreation Centre in Kelowna is moving to the next step.

Parks and building manager Terry Barton says in a report to city council a replacement for the aging multi-use facility is the most pressing recreation need in the city.

Built in 1972, the Rec Centre is nearing the end of its operational and functional lifespan and cannot accommodate the community use demands it now faces.

Barton says a needs assessment for a replacement facility helped define the size and the type of facilities required. They include space for fitness and atthletics, a gymnasium and an aquatics centre, but also customer service areas and office and adminstrative space.

The report assesses the demand for five types of sports facilities; aquatics, arenas, program space including gymnasiums, indoor turf and tennis courts.

A key part of the assessment is a partnership analysis, gauging the potential for other organizations such as the Central Okanagan School District or the Interior Health Authority to be involved in the project.

None of this is going to happen soon. Barton notes in his report funding for Parkinson Rec Centre replacement is not in the city’s 2020 capital plan.

The city last added to its stock of recreational facilities with the construction of the H2O Aquatics and Fitness Centre in 2009.

City council will consider the report at its regular meeting at 9 a.m., Monday, August 10 in Kelowna council chambers.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.