City looks at sports dome
Published Friday July 3rd, 2009
Recreation Facility might be modelled after the Dundee SportsDome in Moncton
SAINT JOHN - The city may build a sports dome with an indoor field that would be open year-round.
The city's leisure services advisory board has been considering options for a new recreational facility and some of its members recently visited a sports dome in Moncton.
City councillor Gary Sullivan, who is a member of the board, said the officials are looking into how a similar facility could be built in Saint John.
"Now that we have an idea of the sort of structure that we're looking at, our next step is to find out, do we need a practice-sized facility year-round or do we need to have regulation size? And what sports would go into it?" Sullivan said.
"I would hope to have a general idea of what we would want to have and the general size of it by the end of the summer."
The facility may be modeled after the Dundee SportsDome in Moncton, an operation Sullivan and other leisure services officials became impressed with when they recently toured the facility.
Common council has committed to building a new recreational facility by the end of its mandate and a sports dome, similar to the one in Moncton, would be ideal, Sullivan said.
The facility, 120 metres long, 35 metres wide and 15 metres tall, features two soccer fields that are two-thirds the size of regulation fields. One field is regularly converted into a golf driving range.
Located at Moncton's CN Sportsplex, the dome accommodates many other sports, including football, ultimate Frisbee, baseball, lacrosse and paintball competitions.
The dome is a private operation, owned by Indoor Sports Management Group, and cost about $1.7 million to build.
Opened in 2005, the dome is the most popular in the winter, but remains open during the summer on a smaller scale, said Jules Leger, president of Indoor Sports. The facility sees about 400,000 visitors every year, Leger said.
"I would like to see a facility of this type in Saint John," Sullivan said, adding the city has seen an increasing level of interest in field sports, such as football and soccer.
"With this growth in field sports, and having a 12-month facility that you could practise in, raises the bar and provides another service to keep our youth active."
Sullivan said the leisure services board is mulling whether a sports dome should be owned by the city or a private partner. He said there are several funding models available that would allow the city to attract private investment while ensuring the city's recreational needs are met.
Mayor Ivan Court, who has also toured the Moncton facility, said he would like to see a dome in Saint John that is a little wider than the Moncton model, to allow for more spectators.
Still, Court said a new sports dome could satisfy council's commitment to building a new recreational facility.
"We know there are recreational needs out there and this council is committed to trying to meet those needs at an affordable cost," Court said.
An indoor sports facility was a major recommendation in a thick recreation report compiled by prominent resident and now New Brunswick senator John Wallace several years ago.
The leisure services board has been using the Wallace report as a playbook to identify its priorities. The board has been focused on securing funding for the Canada Games Stadium, a top goal identified in the report, but has been separately compiling research on a new facility for the past six months or so, Sullivan said.
Guy Barbara, co-owner of the Hotel Courtenay Bay and the Fort Howe Hotel, recently mused that the city could build a sports facility similar in size and shape to the new salt and sand shed on the west side.
The shed is a dome structure that is supported by steel ribs, a similar concept as the Dundee SportsDome. One big difference is the Moncton building is made from a balloon-like vinyl material that is inflated with internal air pressure.
Court said the city had been looking into a potential, new sports dome before Barbara made the suggestion.
"We've been exploring that," Court said of Barbara's proposal. "It could be something like this (the Moncton facility) or a modification of it."
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what ever happened to the kumbaya priority setting session? WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!
His Majesty Court needs to realise that he cannot see see like like and do whatever.
Basic services first.
Translation: "I ain't givin' nobody no credit fer nothin'. Ya hear?"
More mature response: "The mayor and council welcome input from all citizens, and I appreciate Mr. Barbara's interest and suggestions concerning a low-cost facility."
It's too bad that we don't have anyone with that kind of money to step up to the plate her in the Saint John area.