Good news and bad news for Mount Brydges residents when it comes to a community arena or recreation centre. The good news is there is going to be an arena remaining in the community, the bad news is if it’s going to be a brand new facility, it won’t be for quite some time. Councillor Sandi Hipple from last week’s Council meeting.
At last week’s Council meeting, they reviewed three expressions of interest in a possible facility partnership of some kind coming from the YMCA, Plenary Americas a long-term investor, developer, and manager of public infrastructure specializing in public-private partnerships, and Nustadia Recreation, the author of a Recreation Facility Infrastructure Renewal Strategy provided to the municipality over three years ago.
The arena committee’s main focus was on the proposals put forth by Nustadia Recreation and Plenary Americas
identifying them as the most promising submissions. The discussion around the YMCA concluded that they did not meet the scope of the expression of interest. Councillor Hipple expressed the point that the current arena, Tri-Township, needs to keep going until next steps whatever they might be, are worked on.
Despite during an arena committee meeting a few months ago and being part of an approved vote to look into a private partnership, Deputy Mayor Mike McGuire agreed with Hipple’s comments, saying he wasn’t sure why the municipality would be putting the cart before the horse persay.
Council opted to not move forward with the options provided by staff in reference to pursuing the expression of interest submissions and instead approved a motion to collaborate with the Tri-Township Arena Board on a plan regarding the continued operation of that facility.
From the submissions, it was evident that two distinct approaches could be pursued:
· one option involves financing options, designing, building, and operating the project,
· while the second option entails engaging a broker to oversee the project’s financial, design, and construction aspects, with the municipality handling operations.
Nustadia Recreation’s submission detailed various ownership models and outlined phases from predevelopment to opening, encompassing management and operations of the facility. Their proposal
featured a consortium team equipped to manage all stages of the project, spanning design, delivery,
financing, and operation.
Plenary’s submission positions them as brokers who would oversee the project’s financial aspects,
design, and construction, with the municipality taking over operations upon completion.
Both options necessitate further refinement during agreement negotiations, including the crucial task
of determining an appropriate location.
Based on the results of the EOI staff provide the Council with the following options:
Option A: Instruct staff to initiate contact with Plenary to commence due diligence and negotiations
towards drafting an agreement wherein Plenary would act as a broker on behalf of the Municipality for
finance, design, and construction including construction management, with the Municipality assuming
operations upon completion.
Option B: Instruct staff to collaborate with Nustadia Recreation to initiate due diligence and
negotiations towards drafting an agreement wherein Nustadia Recreation would offer finance options,
design, and construction services, including construction management and potential operations upon
completion.
Option C: Instruct staff to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a broker who, on behalf of the
Municipality, can handle finance, design, and construction, including construction management, of a
Community Centre comprising an ice facility, gymnasium/multi-use area, and community meeting
space.
Option D: Instruct staff to develop an RFP seeking a private company capable of providing finance
options, design, construction, and potential operation services for a Community Centre comprising an
ice facility, gymnasium/multi-use area, and community meeting space.
As identified in the Background section of this report, the Mt. Brydges Arena Committee put forward a
subsequent proposal suggesting that the council collaborate with the Tri-Township Arena Board to
devise a strategy for the ongoing management/operation of the Tri-Township Arena. The discussion
during the meeting focused on the requirements for sustaining the arena’s operations, emphasizing
the necessity of coordinating these discussions with the Tri-Township Arena Board.
Written by: C. Soares/Strathroy-Caradoc
