It is interesting to note that the City does not foresee any increases to it’s operating budget because of the Multiplex. I guess since the RM will now be paying upto a third of all operating deficits for recreation programs in the City, even including the Youth Drop In programs they will be able to shift the costs to the Farmers , Commercial Businesses and residents of the RM.
A Great deal for the City, the Mayor should be very proud of his accomplishments.
From The Daily Graphic
Portage la Prairie Rotarians received the first virtual tour of the redesigned Portage Credit Union Centre at their weekly meeting Tuesday.
Jennifer Sarna, director of recreation services with the City of Portage, showed members of the Portage Rotary Club a nine-minute video showed them a virtual mock-up of the facility in its scaled back form.
“This truly will be, under one roof, a place for everyone,” Sarna told Rotarians after the video had played.
Accompanied by songs such as The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” Doc Walker’s “Beautiful Life” and “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” by Bachman Turner Overdrive, the virtual tour took Rotary members and guests over the outside of the building, through the arena and common areas and into the aquatic centre.
This virtual tour, in draft form at the moment, will be presented at public forum in the near future, Sarna announced, although when and where still haven’t been decided.
The director of recreation and leisure services also showed Rotarians a quick slide show of the facility that included a secondary arena, which is to be built in a second phase. Sarna told Rotarians to ignore that portion of the building for now, but hinted it may be coming soon.
“We’re working really hard to find funding for that,” she said.
Sarna explained the wave pool in the Shindleman Aquaplex would be the biggest in Manitoba, as well as pointing out other aspects of the water park, which, according to the virtual tour, will have a waterslide and murals of buffalos on the walls.
“We also have a lazy river,” Sarna mentioned, “and the hot tub is about a 30-person capacity.”
In response to questions from Rotary members, Sarna said the multi-purpose room capacity will be about 250, with room for another 100 if the doors to the atrium are opened.
She also said wheelchair accessibility was a top priority for the multiplex.
“We absolutely kept mobility and accessibility options in mind,” Sarna explained, “when designing the place.”
Sarna handed the reins over to city manager Dale Lyle to answer questions about the multiplex’s operating budget.
Lyle said the City and Rural Municipality of Portage have been working on a draft operating budget for the past few months, but it has been delayed while the RM works out funding issues.
The city manager also commented the operating budget for the multiplex would not significantly increase the city’s operating costs as it pays for recreation services currently, anyway.