Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton has confirmed a location for the already approved covered recreation space will be chosen by the end of the year.
Council approved the required $10 million in funding for the space during their last budget talks; however, a location has yet to be determined as multiple options are being considered.
“With that motion, council directed administration to get some engineering and service costs, bring it back for consideration, and that discussion will come back here for Fall budget deliberations,” she says. “We will make a decision on the location by the end of the year.”
While the $10 million has been approved for the asset itself, Mayor Clayton says she anticipates there could be additional costs associated with the location, depending on where it ends up being.
“There will be, I’m assuming, additional dollars required for servicing and engineering upgrades depending on where the final location ends up being,” she says. “Those conversations for additional money will come to budget deliberation here in November.”
Several locations were included in the administration’s report on the matter, including near the old Composite High School and Peace Wapiti Academy.
“The former composite high school was torn down, you may have noticed that recently it’s been re-turfed, [and] that is intended to be additional sports locations for soccer, softball,” Clayton says. “There are a couple of other locations being considered in that area, one was right across the street from the composite high school, [and] one was closer to the PWA Highschool and soccer pitch; however, the initial report had other locations identified as well.”
The Mayor says the discussion at this point is a waiting game for council, as administration has been tasked with solidifying a final location for the structure ahead of 2025 Budget Deliberations.
