Regina | New Geothermal Indoor Aquatics Facility

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Regina, Saskatchewan, March 7, 2024 —

Regina will benefit from a new, more energy-efficient indoor aquatics facility heated by geothermal energy. The aquatics facility and geothermal projects represent a combined investment of more than $128.1 million from the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, along with the City of Regina.

*** The current Lawson Aquatics Centre was built in 1975 for the Western Canada Summer Games.***

https://www.canada.ca/en/office-infr...n-regina.html#

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7136555

https://beta.ctvnews.ca/local/regina...98313.amp.html

[pappcam]

This needed its own thread? All it'll do is sink to the bottom of the page in a few days. Why not use the main stickied construction thread?

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by pappcam

This needed its own thread? All it'll do is sink to the bottom of the page in a few days. Why not use the main stickied construction thread?

(Hey Pappcam. Just don’t follow or post in this thread then as I didn’t make it for you.)

For everyone else excited about this project, I actually think it will be great to post construction photos and project updates here instead of searching through the entire current Regina construction thread. Cant wait for final renders.

[CattyCommittee]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

(Hey Pappcam. Just don’t follow or post in this thread then as I didn’t make it for you.)

For everyone else excited about this project, I actually think it will be great to post construction photos and project updates here instead of searching through the entire current Regina construction thread. Cant wait for final renders.

can't wait to see yet another over-budget and delayed PCL project that the City is left holding the bag for and then then gets rolled into REAL and then everyone wonders why an organization that had existed for decades is suddenly losing millions of year...

yippeeeeeeeeee more government waste and mismanagement coming soon!

[The mayor]

Originally Posted by CattyCommittee

can't wait to see yet another over-budget and delayed PCL project that the City is left holding the bag for and then then gets rolled into REAL and then everyone wonders why an organization that had existed for decades is suddenly losing millions of year...

yippeeeeeeeeee more government waste and mismanagement coming soon!

Sounds like you want Regina to become a second-class city that has nothing good just because you don’t want it, the city is suffered long enough because of people like you change is needed we are already 50 years behind Saskatoon. Thanks to people like you.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by The mayor

Sounds like you want Regina to become a second-class city that has nothing good just because you don’t want it, the city is suffered long enough because of people like you change is needed we are already 50 years behind Saskatoon. Thanks to people like you.

Every Civic project I can recall has been criticized as an extravagant waste of money. Many of them have turned out to be important amenities that have served the community for decades.

[CattyCommittee]

Originally Posted by The mayor

Sounds like you want Regina to become a second-class city that has nothing good just because you don’t want it, the city is suffered long enough because of people like you change is needed we are already 50 years behind Saskatoon. Thanks to people like you.

hah hah hah. No I think you've got an error in your statement. Regina IS a second class city that has been managed like a dumpster fire by politicians and administrations for the last 15 + years. They focus on mega projects with not enough funding in place or under budgeted for the conditions, get ONE massive mega project built and then pat themselves on the back and say look at the legacy we left...but never mind the dumpster fire all around the one building.

The city needs to get its financial house and management in order before starting another 9 figure infrastructure project. Fiacco and Fougere were attrocious with Mosiac and not spending on anything else and/or investing where it should have been and now we got Masters and her aquatic center that will end up being no where close to the budget they annouced and the City of Regina will end up holding the bag. The aquatic centre should go on the REAL District Lands to develop those out and leave the rest of the land to housing.

Pure and Simple.

A company with no money doesn't go buy a private jet or a golden office tower first, they get a plan in place and cashflow in place, that is not a concept this council or administration has.

[FactaNV]

Originally Posted by CattyCommittee

can't wait to see yet another over-budget and delayed PCL project that the City is left holding the bag for and then then gets rolled into REAL and then everyone wonders why an organization that had existed for decades is suddenly losing millions of year...

yippeeeeeeeeee more government waste and mismanagement coming soon!

Funny that PCL is associated with over budget and late in Regina. In Winnipeg it's the opposite, at one point they were building a floor a week on the new Wawanesa insurance tower and just got two major contracts to build a 12 story medical tower and a 17 story residency tower for the guys who own the Jets.

[Crisis]

Originally Posted by FactaNV

Funny that PCL is associated with over budget and late in Regina. In Winnipeg it's the opposite, at one point they were building a floor a week on the new Wawanesa insurance tower and just got two major contracts to build a 12 story medical tower and a 17 story residency tower for the guys who own the Jets.

I think that perception is more of a CattyCommittee issue, rather than a widespread belief. I'd don't really think that PCL has a reputation for delivering projects over budget and behind schedule - at least no more than any other major General Contractor.

[The mayor]

It’s about time this was announced, can’t wait to see the renders. I love the location.

[Draftsman]

Thank you, one_brick_at_a_time for creating the new thread! It may be quiet for the first while but once the designs are released, and once construction begins, it will generate a lot of interest.

[The mayor]

Quick facts
The federal government is investing $51,274,614 in the new aquatics facility project and the geothermal heating facility project through the Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The Government of Saskatchewan is investing $42,724,573 and the City of Regina is contributing $34,187,349 and is responsible for any additional costs.

[prairieguy]

Congrats Regina....seems like an innovative project. In Saskatoon, our comparable facility was due for a reno (Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre), but budget got blown up once tenders came back. Now on hold....

Those are big chunks of change for all levels of government! As a poster from Saskatoon, I hope we see similar contributions to our Downtown Event Centre/Arena. I guess going 'green' can pay dividends in grant money!! Are you listening Saskatoon???

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by prairieguy

Congrats Regina....seems like an innovative project. In Saskatoon, our comparable facility was due for a reno (Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre), but budget got blown up once tenders came back. Now on hold....

Those are big chunks of change for all levels of government! As a poster from Saskatoon, I hope we see similar contributions to our Downtown Event Centre/Arena. I guess going 'green' can pay dividends in grant money!! Are you listening Saskatoon???

The only way to get Federal money these days is to present it as a green project. Need or making financial sense is a distant second or worse.

[The mayor]

They say this new proposal is going beside the current aquatic center. Does anyone know where exactly it is going? That is a lot of empty land out there.

[CattyCommittee]

Originally Posted by The mayor

They say this new proposal is going beside the current aquatic center. Does anyone know where exactly it is going? That is a lot of empty land out there.

Its intended to replace the field house east to the triangle.

51 Million for this is a far cry from the 100 odd million they were asking the Fed for. The city doesn't have 35 Million plus cost overages to spend on this when the rest of our infrastructure is failing. This facility is sorely needed but a shitty deal for taxpayers overall. If history is anything around here this will cost at least 50 million more than the budget right now as it'll be PCL building it and PCL doesn't care how much anything costs.

I predict another infrastructure boondoggle. Administration and Council can't even handle basic operations, how are they going to manage a 180 million dollar aquatic center (and yes I realize they number is different at the moment)

[prairieguy]

I do wish you luck....as I mentioned before, the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre in Saskatoon was up for a major refurbish and tenders came back way over the budget and it is temporarily shelved and closed for the time being.

[Stormer]

The geothermal alone is projected to cost $28.5 million. I would be highly skeptical that this comes in on budget. I would also be skeptical about it performing as well as predicted. They claim a 15 year payback. We will see. I assume they did not include the cost of capital (i.e. borrowing).

[The mayor]

This facility is needed more than ever. I’m not worried about financing. We can’t wait for the renderings and the start of Construction.

[The mayor]

https://globeecho.com/new-aquatic-ce...evator-access/
New aquatic centre in Regina to feature accessible waterslide with elevator access