Photo: sportsa.com
Plans for a potential regional recreation facility serving Perth and three surrounding townships are moving ahead with a $103,200 feasibility study.
Perth Town Council’s committee has given conditional approval to award the contract to Sierra Planning and Management. The consulting firm will examine whether a regional facility is viable, including community needs, projected population growth, governance, operating costs and potential ways to share construction and ongoing expenses.
Perth, Tay Valley, Drummond/North Elmsley and Lanark Highlands will split the cost equally, with each municipality contributing $25,800, plus HST.
Perth will act as the lead municipality and sign the consulting agreement. A key priority will be gathering input from residents, user groups and other stakeholders across the four municipalities. The study will also build on previous planning work and examine the space requirements for a potential facility.
The timing is important because the four municipalities are preparing an application to Ontario’s Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund. Sierra will prioritize work needed for that application ahead of the December 22 deadline, with the broader feasibility study continuing afterward.
The study will also look at potential governance and service-delivery models, capital cost-sharing and the long-term financial impact of operating the facility.
Importantly, approving the study does not commit the municipalities to building the facility. Any decision on construction, major capital spending or a future governance agreement would come back to the four councils for separate approvals.
The study is intended to give local decision-makers a clearer picture of whether the proposed regional recreation facility is financially and practically achievable. Deputy Mayor Ed McPherson confirmed that any such facility will be built in Perth.
Story by Brian Turner
