Halifax council voted Tuesday to make the Common skating oval permanent, with only Dartmouth councillors Gloria McCluskey and Darren Fisher opposing.
The permanent Oval will be placed at a lower grade than was last winter’s temporary Oval, with piping and electrical work placed beneath a concrete pad that will be used in the summer for roller skating and biking. The centre of the oval will be grass, and used for Frisbee golf. The tall fencing, overhead wires and big pile of dirt that marred the site last winter will be removed. Plans for on-site vending haven’t been finalized, but one proposal is for placing vendors’ vehicles out on the adjacent streets.
Council’s motion directed staff to immediately start the planning and tendering process for the permanent structure, and the financial details will be worked out when council tackles the annual budget next month.
This year’s construction costs are $3.75 million. Next year, an additional $1.4 million will be needed to build small permanent buildings at the site. Annual operating costs are pegged at $410,000. Construction costs will be worked into the city’s long-term capital budget, which means other projects like new sidewalks will be delayed. The on-going operating costs are more problematic, but council was heartened by news that a projected $13 million budget shortfall has completely disappeared, thanks mostly to a surprisingly healthy real estate market, which brings in property and transfer taxes.
A million dollars in private donations has been pledged, but city officials don’t know if that money has any strings attached, like naming rights or advertising on the Common. That highly charged issue will be addressed in coming weeks.
Council had previously directed staff to bring in an annual budget with no tax increase, but may bend that decision to fund The Oval. If so, the tax rate would be bumped up 0.25 cents per $100 value, or about $7 annually for the average house.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2011.
Don’t forget the $2.5 million it cost to build the first oval. This should be added to the latest total to show the true cost. I’m for the oval but this seems like a very poor process to get one.
And, Tim, didn’t you tweet yesterday that the worst the tax rate could be is 0.8 cents per $100 assessed value? So for the average home it could be about $19.
Bundy– the 0.8 figure is if the city rejects all outside funding. That’s highly unlikely.
Alright, makes sense, unlikely they’ll reject outside funding. So 0.25 cents on the $100, did staff divulge what that would total? I’m just curious where that amount lies in relation to the operational cost.
Have tenders been issued to the area’s vandals, oh sorry, Grafitti Artistes to come up with the most original and symbolic black squiggles to adorn the permanent fixtures of the oval?
Bundy- operational costs are estimated at $410,000. I assume that’s from this year’s experience.
They expect lower power costs with permanent structure, and much lower labour costs, because they won’t need gate watchers, as there won’t be any gates.
Is it going to be possible to use the Commons without having to listen to whatever music the management considers appropriate? I mean without wearing headphones, or being deaf, obviously.
I’m also wondering if they’re considering constructing solar panels. Solar panels placed between the sun and the ice surface would provide power for cooling systems and also reduce cooling requirements by reducing the amount of solar radiation on the surface. They could be retracted or rotated during colder periods to allow people to skate in full sunlight.
Jebodiah, I never tried asking to change the music but I am sure if enough people asked they would.
As for solar panels that sounds like a very green idea, another idea would be reclaiming of the heat from the chillers which could be used at the hospital or schools.
Don’t forget; these costs are brought to you courtesy of the same Financial Einsteins who also brought you – the under-pass at BLT, Harbour Shitter, Concerts on the Commons (vote me out Petey) Dartmouth Bus Terminal and other and sundry financial fuck-ups. How do you spell “cost overruns” ?
Basil Brush, If you are concerned about cost over runs then I would suggest requesting a break down of the construction costs from the city. After that speak to an engineer for estimates on concrete costs, a landscaping company for cleaning up the soil,sodding etc and compare yours to what the city has.
You should also look at the various projects which are far more costly then the Oval as well while you are at it.
The report for the Oval and other sports forums are available at
http://halifax.ca/council/agendasc/110329c…
Charles1: Well, that might work for people who are actually spending time at the facility, assuming they can somehow arrive at a playlist which suits everyone — such a feat among a random sampling of the population generally being no minor miracle — and continually do so as groups of people come and go. Picture a hundred people all fighting over the car radio, and you get the idea. In my experience, the only thing that suits everyone acceptably well is silence.
But anyway, I’m more thinking of people who are using the rest of the Commons, including those passing through on their way to other places. I shudder to think of all the illuminating reveries that could fall prey to the latest mm bop bop. For this to happen in one of the areas of the city most conducive to such relaxation would be rather tragic.