After gathering $313.6 million dollars in funding- and going beyond its initial budget by over $100 million dollars- the City of Regina has broken ground for the new Indoor Aquatic Facility. The IAF will find its home right next to the old Lawson Sportplex at 1717 Elphinstone Street, the space that used to be occupied by Taylor Field.
The projected costs of the program have grown with time. Back in 2021, City Council projected a final cost of $180 million dollars for a replacement for the Lawson, according to CBC. Between 2021 and now, the cost has gone up to $313.6 million, including both the facility and the geothermal plant that will heat it.
According to SaskToday, the reasons for the increases in budget were multifold, but included factors such as “labour market constraints, capital investment and demand, scouting construction costs, transportation and fuel cost increases, and global supply chain disruption.”
The geothermal infrastructure being used to heat the pool as part of the city’s net-zero carbon plan is one of the factors that caused the budget to balloon. In case of failure, the geothermal is being supported with a back-up natural gas boiler. According to Courtney Domoney, Project Transition Consultant at the City of Regina, the budget for the geothermal plant has already accounted for the backup system.
Though the budget has been greatly expanded, the council remains convinced that it is an important investment for the future of the city. Councilor Sarah Turnbull of Ward 5 spoke to SaskToday: “The Lawson life-span is nearly over, and it can’t meet the current demand. Families can’t register for swim lessons, events and lessons are being cancelled and reallocated.”
In addition to providing the general public the opportunity to use aquatic spaces more often, the IAF will also be able to host national competitions much more easily. This is thanks in large part to its two 50-meter pools, which will grant more capacity for holding official sporting events, as opposed to the single 65-meter pool boasted by the Lawson.
Regardless of necessity, this expansion beyond the budget has complicated matters not only for the IAF project itself, but for several other investments the city had been considering. SaskToday reports that $21.704 million intended for the renovation of several outdoor pools has been reallocated for use in the IAF project, along with funding for other recreation venues like pickleball courts and dog parks.
This decision to siphon funding away from other aquatic spaces may have consequences in the future. In addition to delaying revitalization until 2031, SaskToday reports that any sort of infrastructure failure involving the defunded pools would result in closure until funding could be re-acquired.
