Projected cost of Regina's new aquatic facility grows 16% to $285M
Regina's elected officials must once again grapple with a growing bill for the city's new aquatic facility.
A new staff report heading to Regina's executive committee on Wednesday highlights how the budget for the project has increased by $40 million — climbing from the $245.1-million budget approved by the outgoing council in October 2024 to $285.1 million.
The increase in cost is the result of market volatility, the limited availability of skilled trades workers and further clarity on the scope of the project, according to the report.
Staff are proposing the city cover the budget increase by redirecting $30 million in funding from other projects and take on an additional $10 million in debt financing for a total of $156 million in debt financing.
If approved, the city is now on the hook for $205.9 million in a project that was originally forecast to cost a total of $180 million in 2021.
The federal and provincial governments are contributing $79.2 million though a federal government infrastructure program.
The latest budget update is a Class B estimate, which means it's considered accurate within a margin of error of 10 to 15 per cent.
First indoor pool to be built in Regina in 35 years
The last time the City of Regina built an indoor pool was in 1990. In 1991, the population of Regina was 191,000 people, a figure which grew to 249,000 as of 2021.
The disconnect between a growing population and a lack of aquatic amenities is why a new indoor aquatic facility is the top priority in the city's recreation master plan. A new facility was also a central part of Sandra Masters' successful mayoral campaign in 2020.
The new facility will be built on the land that used to house Taylor Field, which is right behind the Lawson facility.
The new budget estimate will present this council — some of whom campaigned on cutting waste and expensive projects — with the first chance to make a meaningful decision on the indoor aquatic facility.
The two alternative options presented in Wednesday's report are not recommended by city staff.
Alternative 1
The first one is to reduce the scope of the project through reducing leisure and competitive spaces.
Adjustments include:
Reducing the length of the pool equipped with a dive tank and dive towers from 50 metres to 30 metres.
Eliminating the program lane swimming space.
Eliminating the cold plunge pool.
Eliminating one of the waterslides.
Reducing other leisure amenities such as the length of the lazy river and the size of the wave pool.
This option would still require an additional $30 million in funding, meaning the City of Regina would only save $10 million from the staff recommendation.
It would also limit the ability for the facility to serve community growth, reduce capacity for national events and require significant additional costs and time for redesign.
Alternative 2
The second option would eliminate the leisure aquatic spaces in the facility.
Staff note this would require a substantial rescoping of the project and reallocating an additional $21.7 million from reconstruction of outdoor pools.
"This option is the least developed and requires the most time for design, carries more risk than the other options and could not be delivered within the current budget," the report says.
While it does maintain the ability to accommodate national level aquatic competitions, staff say segments of residents will likely have the perception that the facility does not provide the modern leisure experience offered in other municipalities.
It would also reduce accessibility and eliminate the accessible waterslide approved by city council.
This alternative would also further delay the projects it requires a redesign. That could mean additional costs, according to staff.
The staff report says maintaining the current scope of the project will help the available pool space keep up with the expected growth of the community over the next 20 years, while also centralizing services in one section through a connection to the fieldhouse.
Geothermal facility
One feature not included in the potential rescoping is the geothermal heating system meant to heat the facility.
Council could reconsider the geothermal system if it chooses to reduce the scope of the entire project.
The geothermal heating system is currently budgeted at $28.5 million. If council were to instead use natural gas as the fuel source, approximately $9 million in debt funding could be redirected. However, that could raise problems relating to the federal and provincial grant program, the report notes.
Staff do say the facility will help the city get to net-zero carbon emissions, which is a key goal of Regina.
The City of Regina has confirmed construction on the aquatic facility is set to begin this fall with the completion set for 2029.
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