Recreation centre opening delayed until November
By Chris Simon

Supplier difficulties and a Roofers Union strike are being blamed for further delays in the opening of Innisfil's $29 million recreational complex.

The building was expected to partially open Friday, however that has been delayed by about one month. Engineers have had difficulty purchasing construction material, while a Roofer's Union strike earlier this year caused about two months in construction delays earlier this year. However, town officials admit the original completion dates may have been too aggressive.

Construction crews have now been told to take their time, and insure the complex is built properly, said town CAO Larry Allison.

"They are running about a month late," he said. "We are now targeting mid-November, somewhere between the 9th and 15th. We're trying not to sacrifice quality for short-term gain. They're doing a great job, but just for the sake of a few weeks of skating, we didn't want somebody cutting a corner that would haunt us later."

The first phase of the project - which includes the arena portion of the complex - was originally scheduled to open in August, with the remaining section planned for completion in November. However, the strike pushed the opening of the centre's large ice rink to mid-October, while the remaining portion of the first phase was given a Nov. 1 completion date. The entire complex is now expected to open sometime next Spring.

Mayor Brian Jackson says residents need to be patient.

"The contractor is working diligently to meet an alternate time," he said. "We have to be mindful that it was a very aggressive schedule to start with. I think we're doing pretty well, considering the labour problems we're encountering."

However, the outdoor fields are expected to be ready for the Spring. Drainage systems have been built, lighting systems are set to be hoisted, and sod is expected to be laid by the end of the year, said Allison.

Once finished, the recreation centre will feature a twinpad arena, aquatics facility, gymnasium, fitness room, and community space. It is located on Innisfil Beach Road, near the South Simcoe Police North Division Office and the new Town Hall administration building.

Construction on the $10 million administration building is expected to be completed early next year, said Allison.

"The administration centre is running bang on, work is progressing very quickly on the site, they're moving with great speed," he said. "We're quite pleased with that one. Town staff are working on ramping up for move in, we anticipate very early in 2008."

The town hall will have several upgrades over the current administration building. It will include handicap accessible council chambers with a 150 seat public gallery, three community meeting rooms, and a customer service centre near the front entrance. The third floor of the building will contain 1,000 square feet of extra space, which could be leased out to private business owners until the town needs to expand its offices.

Both buildings will be linked by an internal road network.

Although both buildings have been affected by the strike and other conditions, the recreation centre is significantly more difficult to build, said Allison.

"The town hall building is a little simpler, the mechanical systems are not nearly as complex," he said. "The scope is definitely different."