Regina moves closer to getting mega-projects built

Plans to build a new arena, library and non-vehicular trail system to connect various areas of downtown are one step closer to reality.

After two days of meetings, Regina city council on Thursday approved recommendations proposed by the catalyst committee to build the mega-projects.

Council approved the recommendations with a vote of 8-3 on Thursday afternoon. Councillors Dan LeBlanc, Andrew Stevens and Shanon Zachidniak voted against the motion.

What Thursday’s decision means is the city supports the projects, but they’re still a long way away from construction. Funding still needs to be secured, designs need to be created and locations need to be discussed.

“There’s an enormous amount of planning that goes into anything,” Mayor Sandra Masters said. “I think what you’ll see from council is consideration of those (projects) and direction of further work, but that would have to be in budget and another vote of council in terms of advancing those (projects).

“Administration now has the general sense that we’re good to go if funding is available for planning,” she added. “There’s probably a year or two worth of preliminary design and information that needs to be acquired before anything would come before council. There’s multiple decisions for council to make or the next council to make.”

Council made a decision on a fourth mega-project — a new indoor aquatic centre — earlier this month. On March 8, council approved a motion to apply for federal funding to help build that facility on the site of the current Lawson Aquatic Centre.

There has been some opposition to the projects proposed for the downtown, especially the arena. Some people have suggested the catalyst committee and city council have moved too quickly when it comes to trying to get these projects built.

Masters said she doesn’t feel they’ve been moving too quickly.

“Previous council and this council has been looking at a Brandt Centre replacement (and) a new aquatics centre, (and) there’s been talk for 10 years about a nice trail and pathway system. From July to present, there’s been lots of opportunity to investigate existing reports, have conversations and be involved,” she said.

Tim Reid, the president and CEO of Regina Exhibition Association Limited, was one of those on the catalyst committee and he says the news from council was a wonderful outcome.

“I think it listened to some of the feedback we’ve received, I think it listened to the catalyst committee, I think it found a place that has lots of flexibility in the future, but I also think it spoke to building a city over the next 20 years,” Reid explained.

He said he enjoyed hearing from those who spoke at the council meeting on Wednesday about the projects.

“What I took from (Wednesday) is there was lots of people who went out of their way to participate in that conversation,” Reid noted. “It’s clearly important. These conversations need to continue.

“The biggest takeaway I took away from (Wednesday’s) delegations was downtown Regina is important to us,” he continued. “It’s not in the position we’d like it to be as a city. There is no one silver bullet that’s going to fix the challenges of our downtown and I think we need to be incredibly crafty and co-ordinated in what we do.”

Reid thinks the legacy of the catalyst committee and the work it has done will be what it could mean for future generations.

He hopes his kids get to use the facilities one day and it could potentially keep them in Regina 25 years down the road.