North 性视界传媒 Recreation Centre will be entirely decommissioned by year鈥檚 end, with demolition not far behind.

Timeline details are included in a report approved by 性视界传媒 city council on Monday (June 24).

The aging structure, first built in 1965 and renovated several times in years since, would make way for a mixed-use 鈥淐entre Block鈥� development that would radically change the look of the area, just west of 性视界传媒 Central SkyTrain station.

Once the rec centre is closed up for good, those who use the facility would be directed to programs and services within a four-kilometre radius of the site, according to .

Ice sports will move to the new North 性视界传媒 Sport & Ice Complex, due open in September.

鈥� RELATED: PHOTOS: Inside North 性视界传媒鈥檚 new three-rink arena 鈥� and the view from the roof, too

The rec centre鈥檚 swimming and aqua-fit programs would shift to Guildford Recreation Centre 鈥� a distance of 3.8 kilometres.

The preschool, children and youth programs and services currently found at North 性视界传媒 rec, or NSRC, would shift to Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre.

Through 鈥渆nhanced communications,鈥� says the report to council, 鈥渟taff will be able to demonstration to the NSRC users that the relocation of the programs and services previously offered by NSRC will be enhanced by diverting to other home facilities and provide more opportunities for patrons to participate in new programs.鈥�

Laurie Cavan, 性视界传媒鈥檚 general manager of Parks, Recreation and Culture, said the city recognizes the elimination of North 性视界传媒 rec centre would represent 鈥渁 big change for users there鈥� and that the city would 鈥渃ommunicate that with them in a very thorough way.鈥�

Approximately 30,000 鈥渋ndividual users鈥� annually pass through the doors of the rec centre, Cavan said, for a total of close to 170,000 annual drop-in visits.

Noted in the report to council is a proposed City Centre YMCA, which would be built in partnership with Simon Fraser University.

鈥淲e are currently in discussions about that project,鈥� Cavan noted, adding the facility would be similar to the , a Sullivan-area amenity that includes a pool.

In the report to council, staff 鈥渟trongly recommend a complete decommissioning of the existing (North 性视界传媒 rec centre) as soon as possible鈥� after the opening of North 性视界传媒 Sport & Ice Complex, located near Scott Road Skytrain station.

Also, the report says 鈥渢here are several factors that indicate the need for the entire (North 性视界传媒 rec centre) building to be demolished at one time.鈥�

The building and its systems are aging, the report notes, 鈥渁nd major infrastructure has exceeded life expectancy. There is a possibility of major systems failure of roofing, plumbing, heating and air conditioning as a result of deferring replacement of these in anticipation of the move from NSRC to the new NSSIC (North 性视界传媒 Sport & Ice Complex) and future .鈥�

On Monday, the council approved the report鈥檚 recommendation to decommission the building by Dec. 31, 2019, with only Councillor Steven Pettigrew opposed.

鈥淚鈥檝e received too much push-back from the community regarding the closing of the pool,鈥� Pettigrew said.

He pushed for the closure of the pool to be delayed, 鈥渦ntil there is more substantial plans for this area and to allow people of the community to continue to swim there,鈥� but the council approved the report as written.

Councillor Brenda Locke called North 性视界传媒 rec centre 鈥渒ind of an iconic place for 性视界传媒,鈥� and said she hoped pieces of the building could be salvaged as a way to remember the site鈥檚 history in the local hockey community.

In the 性视界传媒 City Centre plan, the Centre Block project is described as 鈥渁 higher density mixed-use precinct.

鈥淩edevelopment will facilitate the completion of a north-south pedestrian corridor, and an on-street bus exchange,鈥� the plan says. 鈥淭he north-south pedestrian corridor will meander through the Centre Block and vary in width to include large and small plazas. The plazas will include amenities such as seating, bike racks, public art, and specialty paving. The edges of the plaza will be animated with strong, four to six-storey building podiums and active uses at grade.

鈥淭he existing bus loop will be reconfigured into an on-street transit exchange,鈥� the plan adds. 鈥淭he completion of key east-west streets, Central Avenue (103 Avenue) and 102A Avenue, will facilitate bus drop off along 102A Ave and bus pick-up along Central Avenue. The bus layover facility, which is currently located within the bus loop, will be relocated within close proximity to the Centre Block.鈥�

鈥� READ ALSO: New arena, more ice in 性视界传媒 鈥� but will it be enough for everyone?

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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