Pembroke – It might be an ambitious dream, but Pembroke city council is hoping it can attract a private firm to build a brand new sports complex that would include a new Memorial Centre, a second ice surface, an aquatic centre and maybe even a new library.

The new development would be known as a P3 project –a Public Private Partnership – a deal between the city and private enterprise that would see a state-of-the-art recreation complex, all under one roof. It would be operated by the successful bidder who would earn back their investment through user fees.

The idea was brought up at council in early November after staff presented a report on current recreation facilities which shows huge investments will be required for the existing PMC, Kinsmen Pool and Pem-Ice II.

“We had just finished the consultation phase for our community recreation master plan that will provide  a 10-year road map for recreational facilities and programming,” Deputy Mayor Brian Abdallah explained. “Conveniently the treasurer gave a report a month ago on asset management which the province mandates and presented us with capital expenditures that will be required at our rec facilities in 2020 dollars.”

These included the Kinsmen Pool, which is at its end of life; Pem-Ice II (Pembroke and Area Community Centre), built in 1977, which requires about $4.5 million in 2020 dollars work, and which translates to about $6.5 to $7 million today with supply chain delays and increased costs, and the Pembroke Memorial Center (PMC).

But the real eye-opener was the Memorial Centre,” the deputy mayor said. “It was built in 1951-52 so it’s 71 years old. It needs $11.5 million over the next 20 years to keep it in fair condition. That was a 2020 inspection and is in 2020 dollars so it would be about $17.25 million in today’s dollars.”
Deputy Mayor Abdallah, who brought a motion to the table to seek expressions of interest for a P3 deal, said he wouldn’t have suggested this a year ago.

“”The idea of a multi-use recreation complex (MURC) has been mentioned before in our community. P3 recreational facilities are prevalent in many communities throughout Canada, with the operational/management model varying from facility to facility.”

He said the replacement of the pool is too small of a project on its own for a P3 investment but when another facility like a new PMC is added to the mix it becomes quite feasible for the private sector to become involved.

Deputy-Mayor Abdallah said Pembroke is at a crossroads with its aging recreation facilities and stressed the idea of a P3 is purely an exploratory mission at this time.

“It is only the start of a conversation, so I don’t want people to get up in arms and say, ‘oh we’re going to get rid of the PMC’. This is an option that is worthwhile checking because in the end you can save millions of dollars and you can build it and you don’t have the pressure on the tax system,” he said.

“We are no different than any other community in Canada, a pool here, a rink here, a second rink there,” he added.

At the November 7 city council meeting, he put forth a motion that the city issue an expression of interest to firms that might be interested in a P3 for a multi-sports facility/recreation hub including an aquatic complex, PMC replacement, second ice pad and a possible library perhaps with a restaurant or whatever other amenity would make the P3 viable. The current library is housed in a 114-year-old building and the 2020 asset management plan revealed it will require $1.2 million in upgrades (in 2020 dollars) over the next 10 to 15 years.

“The library would be a good fit with the sportsplex,” he said. “It’s a hub. It would be a game changer for Pembroke, Laurentian Valley, Whitewater, the whole area.”

He also believes such a complex would bring more residents to the city and area and help especially in attracting professionals in the medical field.

“It’s definitely worth looking into,” Deputy Mayor Abdallah said. “We don’t have the financial capacity to go out and build a PMC replacement, a pool replacement, so a P3 is an option to look at.

“We will put out these expressions of interest, see what, if any interest there is, and if there is interest, talk to the company or companies that are interested.”

The beauty of a Public Private Partnership is that it allows for the construction of a facility without putting a huge financial burden on the city, he said.

Reaction from his colleagues is positive and city staff will present a report with more information in late January or early February. If all goes well, the deputy mayor said the city could be seeking expressions of interest by the spring of 2024,

There are two potential sites for a new complex, both located in the TransCan Corporate Park near the Highway 17-41 intersection.

“It’s worth a shot,” Deputy Mayor Abdallah remarked. “Because why would you spend millions of dollars on the PMC? We all love the PMC and if it did get replaced the new arena would have to be called the Pembroke Memorial Center and dedicated to our veterans. The name would never go.”