Twelve years in the making and shovels are expected to be in the ground soon.
At a Committee of the Whole meeting, Riverview Council approved Lindsay Construction to build the Recreation Centre for $ 56.7 million.
That’s up from estimates from May last year when the project was estimated at between $39 million and $46 million.
Rising material costs were just one of the reasons behind the increased cost.
Councillor-at-Large Heath Johnson was uneasy about the increased cost but voted in favour.
“The amount we talked about in the town’s capital plan was $36.7 million back in January. We thought that was going to be $21.7 million. So, it’s about $15 million more than we thought. It obviously makes me feel uncomfortable, but it’s also one of these once-in-a-generation opportunities that comes forward. If we said no right now, I doubt we’d be able to re-secure the federal and provincial funding at any time in the future,” Johnson expressed.
“I take a look at the economic development strategy that we’ve been working towards that relies heavily on attracting people to Riverview, and capital investment plays a big role in that. While I know we can’t have any concrete numbers that say how many people will be attracted if we build the complex, it is pretty safe to say, that if we have this complex it will attract people to live here and help us grow the community.”
Applause rang out in council chambers after a unanimous vote in favour.
“Motion carried, let’s put shovels in the ground,” Mayor Andrew Leblanc said.
This vote was held at this week’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday. It must still be ratified during a regular council meeting.
