Launching Validation: progressing plans to build a stronger Kelowna
Explore what, where, who and when as we launch into the next phase of Kelowna’s largest infrastructure project.
What:
They’re the kind of places that encourage our personal best. They bring us together to celebrate and connect, and provide the atmosphere and tools to boost creativity, build memories and achieve our goals. Over the next three years, Kelowna’s next chapter in sport, recreation and community connection will take shape. Through the Building a Stronger Kelowna initiative, we will invest in facilities across all areas of Kelowna, including a destination centre in the heart of our city.
The Redevelopment of PRC
The redevelopment of Parkinson Recreation Centre (PRC) will serve as a core, future facility, helping to attract major events and tournaments to the city. The new centre will include unique spaces for people of all ages and abilities to be active and social, serving as Kelowna’s ‘community living room’ in the centre of the city.
For over 50 years, PRC has been a welcoming place for Kelowna to move, grow, learn, and belong. In redeveloping the centre, staff are focused on maintaining the core elements of what PRC is to the community today in being an inclusive facility:
“One of my favorite days was when we honoured one of our long-time members on their 90th birthday with a surprise gathering. It was a wonderful opportunity for friends, staff, and community members to build relationships over cake! Such a memorable day,” says Claire Flower, who greets community members as a clerk at PRC’s front desk. “PRC is the kind of place where neighbours become friends, looking out for and supporting one another.”
Staff from the ALC team celebrate John on his birthday, a long-time member at PRC.
Maintaining PRC’s welcoming nature also includes welcoming new events, tournaments, and opportunities for Kelowna and the region. Early plans for redevelopment of the facility, also called the functional plan, shows a vision for a centre nearly three times larger than PRC today, with the ability to host larger and higher-level events while offering more programs and wellness opportunities.
The gymnasium and fitness centre will be five times larger, with spectator seating. The pool will be 2.5 times larger, with more lanes, more deck space and more capacity to support swimming lessons, rehabilitation programs and aquatic competitions. The lobby and program areas will be key spaces to encourage connection and growth of a variety of activities including dance, fitness, art, language, and music classes while also having dedicated space for childcare. How the centre flows outdoors will be considered to make full use of the surrounding park. The future facility will include a kitchen for community programs, along with space dedicated for events, swimming and programs for all ages and abilities.
Activity Centres for All Ages in Glenmore and Mission
Activity centers play a crucial role in connecting neighborhoods by offering accessible, low-barrier programs, events, and opportunities. The multi-age activity centers being constructed in Mission and Glenmore will provide a space for individuals of all ages and abilities to grow and thrive within their community. These centers will offer a range of programs, including dance, yoga, and art classes, as well as multi-use sports facilities and spaces for social connection. Additionally, each center will have 91 childcare spaces, supported by the provincial ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund.
Sports Fields Enhancements in Rutland
Rutland Recreation Park will see sports field improvements, such as the addition of a lighted, artificial turf field that can help with the demand for these facilities and spread them out across the city for year-round use. Plans for the enhancement are being finalized with community and interest group engagement open through June 2024.
Community Partnership Opportunities
With aligned objectives to enhance well-being and connection across Kelowna, advancing opportunities for shared development and use of facilities owned and operated by Okanagan College, University of British Columbia Okanagan, and School District 23 leverages collective amenities to provide the highest level of service to the community. Strategic investment and further exploration to collaborate and potentially expand on planned facility projects will foster greater involvement and connection on Kelowna’s post-secondary and general school sites.
Where:
The redevelopment of Parkinson Recreation Centre will be built to the north side of Mill Creek within Parkinson Recreation Park. Redeveloping off the current site allows for the existing centre to maintain operations while the new facility is built and provides better ongoing creek and flood protection.
A new all-ages activity centre is just one of the exciting features to look forward to at Glenmore Recreation Park which is being developed through a multi-year, multi-phased approach. The park currently features two sports fields, a fenced off-leash dog park and cricket pitch, with more to come in future stages including an artificial turf field, sports courts, a splash park, playground, and skate park!
Mission Activity Centre will be built within one of Kelowna’s most well-used recreation complexes at Mission Recreation Park, complimenting the site with needed program and gathering space. Outside the new all-ages activity centre, the park will see additional enhancements in the future including two ball diamonds, a youth park and champions plaza.
Sport fields will be optimized at the site of Rutland Recreation Park, the home of the Rutland Activity Centre, Rutland Arena, and the Rutland Family Y. The park also hosts a community garden and BMX track and with recent investments, Rutland’s primary recreation park becomes an ideal hub of indoor / outdoor activity.
Who:
A dedicated project team has been formed to redevelop PRC and construct two activity centers using an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model. IPD is a highly collaborative process that is designed to reduce both risks and unnecessary waste while enhancing operational efficiency.
In May 2024, the project team for the redevelopment of Parkinson Recreation Centre (RPRC) came together with City staff and IPD advisory, Colliers Project Leaders, to kick off the next phase of the project called ‘Validation’. The Validation process will span through 2024 to support the initial designs. Validation involves all key parties —such as architects, engineers, general contractors, trade partners (builders), advisory groups and Indigenous collaborators working together to review and confirm the project goals. Validation will also include a crucial part of the planning phase in engaging with key community and user groups to validate and refine the initial facility plans, building detail into the design. The IPD philosophy is highly cooperative to ensure what is delivered to the community meets the right standard for service and accessibility needs, securing competitions and events, and will address the highest priorities within the community.
“Parkinson Recreation Centre has been an important space for our family - whether it be taking my kids swimming, celebrating a birthday party or attending programs - so we understand the significance of this facility located in the heart of the Kelowna community,” says Joel Sawatzky, with Stantec Civil Engineering, and one of the local members on the RPRC project team. “The excitement of what’s to come for families like ours makes this a real passion project for our team.”
Project team members collaborate at the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) validation launch event from May 22-24, 2024, bringing together the City with all architects, contractors, advisory groups, and trade partners supporting the redevelopment of PRC.
The RPRC and Activity Centre project teams consist of the City of Kelowna, Diamond Schmitt, Stantec Architecture, Bird Construction, AES Electrical Engineers, AME Mechanical Engineers, WSP with Fast+EPP Structural Engineers, VDZ+A Landscape Architects + (SMM) Scatliff | Miller | Murray Inc., Westcana with Altapro Electrical Trade Partner, Arpi’s North Mechanical Trade Partner and Stantec Civil Engineering Consultants in addition to key advisory groups.
The optimization work at Rutland Recreation Park will be developed in conjunction with van der Zalm + Associates (VDZ+A Landscape Architects), with community engagement focused within the Rutland area to help finalize plans for that park in June 2024.
When:
Plans are progressing throughout 2024, with an early, estimated timeline signalling work start for all projects in early 2025. The redevelopment of PRC and two new activity centres are slated for completion in 2027.
And that’s just the start, with more to be revealed as plans progress and community partnerships are cultivated. The development of these facilities and spaces across Kelowna will be an investment in the wellbeing of our residents for decades to come.
Stay updated on the progress of these community, sport, and wellness projects by signing up to the Building a Stronger Kelowna seasonal e-newsletter.
