Busy Summer Ahead for Civic Centre Project

Central Nova Scotia will soon have a new place to gather, play and thrive, but not without a lot of hard work and dedication!  Plans for the civic centre are moving along as anticipated, a few bumps in the road, but nothing that has held us back from making this centre a reality for our Region.  Since December, project architects Shore Tilbe Perkins + Will have been working diligently on schematic designs based on space programming priorities outlined by the community which include:

• Event facility with an NHL sized ice surface
• Aquatic Centre – Competitive and leisure pool
• Walking track
• Fitness centre
• Multi-purpose community space
• Rock Climbing Wall

The Project Steering Committee hopes to share conceptual designs with the community in early June, they have been working with the Architects and Construction Management Team to ensure a well thought out, and uniquely designed facility is built.  That being said, we have only one chance to do this right and are looking at every inch of the proposed facility to ensure everything flows well and elements are where they should be.  The Architects are now at a pivotal point where they have taken the designs to their structural and mechanical engineers to confirm that the design meets building code regulations and that it can be built without serious changes. 

So, what does this do to our construction schedule?  Fortunately, we are still able to move ahead with site preparations in late June, early July and then construction to follow shortly thereafter.  Prior to beginning site preparations, a mandatory environmental screening of the site is required as a condition of federal funding; this is scheduled to be completed by June.  In the end, it is still anticipated that we will have a new recreation and wellness centre by fall, 2012! 

Since December, a number of studies and much background work has been going on behind the scenes.  A traffic impact study was completed and presented outlining traffic patterns and parking requirements in and around the Exit 13 site.  A business plan was completed to ensure that design decisions are consistent with the long term financial stability of the facility.  The Project Steering Committee and the Architects are now beginning to explore the potential to target a silver designation through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. 

LEED is a third-party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:

• sustainable site development
• water efficiency
• energy efficiency
• materials selection
• indoor environmental quality

To obtain LEED silver, we are currently looking at a number of sustainable components to include in the design, a few examples include: the incorporation of wood products, renewable energy systems, and innovative lighting systems to reduce light pollution.  There are countless benefits to achieving LEED silver and we are looking forward to reducing our carbon footprint and delivering an environmentally friendly facility. 

In conclusion, the project is moving at a rapid pace and we are anxious to present the designs and for construction to begin.  If you have any questions or comments that you would like to share, we can be reached through our website www.ignitethespirit.ca or by email at ignitethespirit@colchester.ca.