Council considers additional courts at sports centre

By Melissa Crispin-Piche Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

An unfinished concrete area at the Strathmore Motor Products Sports Centre could become additional indoor court space under a proposal expected to be considered during budget discussions.

Council reviewed a feasibility assessment Oct. 14 that examined public interest, construction costs and the revenue the space could generate through rentals and expanded programming.

The investment was described during the meeting as roughly $400,000. It would include sports flooring, divider curtains, equipment, score clocks and electrical work.

A town survey received 75 responses, with 72 per cent supporting or strongly supporting conversion of the concrete pad into additional courts. Seventy-one per cent said they would be likely or very likely to use the space.

Public drop-in use ranked highest among the activities identified in the survey, followed by pickleball, group fitness and youth recreation programs.

The financial assessment projected a payback period of approximately 10.3 years. Staff stressed that the calculation relies on assumptions about bookings, programming and future demand.

For rental revenue, staff used responses from 11 community organizations that collectively identified a need for another 25 hours of bookings each week. Applying a youth rental rate over half the year produced an estimate of just over $66,000 in additional annual rental revenue.

“Of course there’s a lot of assumptions there,” Marcie Mansbridge, presenter and Manger of Recreation and Culture with the Town of Strathmore, told council.

Councillors discussed the potential to attract tournaments, accommodate growing court sports and offer more supervised activities for young people during winter.

Coun. Matt Hyde welcomed the financial analysis but cautioned that council would have to weigh the project against other demands on taxpayers.

“Eventually we’re going to run out of pie,” Coun. Hyde said.

The proposed flooring has an estimated 25-year lifespan. Staff said cleaning costs would not increase under the current contract because the work would improve existing space rather than add floor area. Additional use could, however, require more staffing and maintenance.

Council also discussed court spacing, adjustable basketball hoops and moving the batting cage to the field side of the facility.

No construction approval was given at the meeting. The proposal remains subject to council’s budget deliberations.