Grande Prairie City Council has decided on Avondale to be the preferred location for a proposed new recreation facility. Heading into the April 17th meeting council had three options on where the facility could possibly be located, including Smith, Riverstone, and the old Composite High School site in Avondale.
Before council got to the conversation regarding the recreation centre, it heard half a dozen delegations regarding the subject with the majority being residents opposed to the facility being built behind the Smith subdivision. Some of the reasons shared for residents’ opposition included the rezoning of the land, safety and privacy, along with traffic and parking.
Ultimately, after looking at the options brought forward by administration, council unanimously voted on the Avondale site being the preferred site for the proposed facility. According to the city, project planning and preparation can move forward now a preferred site has been decided on.
At the beginning of the April, council approved $10 million in principal funding for the project. The discussion about a new facility started back in January when Swan City FC made a presentation about the possibility of putting up a dome structure after the club identified a high demand for the facilities, which they expect to increase with the demolition of the Leisure Centre soccer pitch.
At the end of January, the committee recommended council support the proposed Avondale site before administration was directed to break down items listed in the framework used to recommend the location.