By Mark Squibb
Mount Pearl council awarded JMJ Holdings Ltd., a $15.5 million contract for the design and construction of a new community centre earlier this month, and this week voted to submit a Capital Investment Plan to the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs for Canada Community-Building Funds in the amount of $2.28 million, plus HST, to help cover some of those contract costs.
“We’ve announced our community centre, and now we have to try and find out how to pay for it,” quipped councillor Bill Antle, who explained the project will be funded through a mix of City and cost-shared funding.
Mayor Dave Aker allowed the submission was a routine piece of paperwork, albeit a big expense.
Councillor Antle joked it was the most money he had spent in a couple of months.
The new centre, set to replace Park Place, will span 24,500 square feet, and boast amenities such as a splash pad and ice rink surface and a multi-purpose space complete with stage and retractable bleachers. The centre will seat 500 and accommodate approximately 1,000 standing.
The centre was first announced in July 2021. Construction is expected to be completed by early 2026.
