October 2, 2008
By: Adam Mc Lean, www.yorkregion.com

$30M centre ‘like no other building’ in town

The proposed $30-million Oak Ridges Community Centre is being trumpeted as an architectural beauty, which will complement and partner with the area’s most serene natural settings.

The facility, designed by Shore Tilbe Irwin & Partners Architects, breaks the mold of ordinary institutional buildings where people gather to enjoy leisure and sports activities, its designers said this week.

Artist’s renditions were unveiled for the town’s steering committee Monday afternoon for the centre, which may be built in an undeveloped field between Bayview Avenue and Helena Jaczek Park.

What makes it unique is it would co-exist with the environmental landscape surrounding Lake Wilcox, featuring heavy timbers creating a covered deck, which runs along the west side of the building.

Limestone walls will define pedestrian routes and a series of green parterres that engage the slopping hillside toward the lake with the potential of outdoor seating for an amphitheatre, which, in turn will lead to footbridges and nature routes.

The Oak Ridges Community Centre has the potential to become a landmark and a beacon to the north end of town.

And that is just the outside of the building, designers said.

Building legacy

“We are building a legacy here. This will be like no other building in Richmond Hill,” commissioner of engineering and public works Italo Brutto said, during a visual presentation, which held Mayor Dave Barrow and other councillors in awe.

The centre’s interior design features a six-lane pool, full-size gymnasium, fitness centre, an eco-centre and community program rooms.

Much of the centre’s interior and exterior design is to be encased in glazed glass, so as to use natural sunlight and give patrons a sense of the natural beauty on and around the property.

Not to mention a large hearth and fireplace positioned in the lounge area that will lead out to the covered deck offering a view of parklands and Lake Wilcox.

The design includes 56,800 square feet of floor area that will be wheelchair accessible by a series of ramps.

The building’s terraced roof will be a combination of a green roof and reflective design as to reduce an urban heat island effect.

Parking lots leading out to Bayview will hold 244 parking spaces.

But all that natural and architectural beauty comes with a breathtaking price.

A $30-million price tag is nothing to sneeze at and it is this figure that could very well set the town back developing other community spaces, councillors agree.

“We still need to get council to accept this,” Regional Councillor Vito Spatafora said.

“My concern is how we are going to justify these numbers and we need to fully understand the impact this cost could have in regards to other endeavours,” he added.

Representing the area of town where the Oak Ridges community would call home, Mr. Beros was all smiles after the presentation and he said he thinks Ward 1 residents will have the same reaction.

“I am delighted with what I see today,” Mr. Beros said.

“Yeah, it is a lot of money, but this is what the community wants and people will admire the respect and interaction we have with the land,” he added.

Mayor Dave Barrow related the proposed project to being slightly over the town’s forecasted budget, much like any resident’s personal budget.

“This is similar to budgeting at home. We had set aside money for the community centre, but with certain upgrades in design we have gone over our original estimate; but we have money in the bank,” he said.

“The site looks awesome and if we allow for some extra creativity in the design, it allows us to do something that has never been done before,” he added.

The building plan will be brought to council in a couple weeks and if the design is approved, a public meeting displaying the full design and presentation will be held in late October or early November.

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