Speed-up on John Tod Centre proposed

NEWS/ CITY — Kamloops City council will be asked Tuesday to rethink an earlier decision to split the John Tod Community Centre project into two phases to spread out the costs.

A report going to council recommends a “budget adjustment” to ensure a fully functioning facility when it opens in November, as well as a completed parking lot. The changes would put the total budget for the project at $2.665 million.

Items worth $240,000 were removed from the work to keep the project within budget but would compromise some of the building’s operations, the report from parks, recreation and cultural services director Byron McCorkell says.

And, the work would cost more later.

“The YMCA-YWCA has offered to provide the City with the necessary funds to increase the project budget by $240,000 in order to cover the cost of the separately priced items and enable a fully functioning building when the centre opens to the public in November 2014,” the report says.

The Y says program participation has increased 89 per cent since its child care resource and referral program were moved into the centre during construction. The Y’s fitness operation will move from Northills Shopping Centre into John Tod when the new centre is finished.

Finishing the parking lot now would cost $225,000, including 62 stalls plus handicapped stalls, bus stalls, and 10 offsite stalls.

Parking money would come by transferring money from existing funds.

“Having John Tod open as a fully function building with adequate parking for all users will ensure that the goodwill and excitement towards the project is not jeopardized,” says McCorkell in the report.