There is now a gap of more than 3 million dollars between what the regional recreation centre in Owen Sound will cost and the available funding for it.
But City Council reaffirmed its commitment to the project at a special meeting on Monday — and will not consider the elimination of any of its major elements.
A report from City Manager Jim Harrold set the cost of the project at 38 million dollars.
Available funding for the project is 34.4 million — resulting in a shortfall of 3.06 million dollars.
But the available funding assumes a contribution from regional partners of 1.2 million dollars — based on current usage of the Family Y by residents in Georgian Bluffs and Meaford.
But Georgian Bluffs has yet to make a financial commitment — and Meaford has said it can’t make a financial contribution.
The price tag also includes any work deemed necessary for soil remediation at Victoria Park.
Council was told that 24 soil tests have been completed at Victoria Park to determine the load bearing capacity in various locations.
But in every instance — the soil was either just as unstable as it is in the preferred footprint along 10th Street and 8th Avenue East — or it was worse.
But Council also noted that there is still no better location in the city for the complex.
It’s city owned property and is flat and clean — and the report said the cost of moving from Victoria Park would probably cost more than it will cost to stay there.
Harrold’s report says it’s believed another 400 thousand dollars in savings can be realized without removing any major elements from the two-rink, two-pool project.
Council refused to consider the possibility of eliminating any of the big-ticket items.
Several councillors cited the construction of the Bayshore Community Centre as an example of a project that was downsized to meet a budget — and needed extensive renovations years later to turn it into what had been envisioned in the first place.
Staff has been directed to prepare a report within 48 hours that will outline directions council can go in terms of the project.
Council will then consider that report at the start of its annual pre-budget deliberations on Friday morning.
One option that council seemed to support was the idea of taking out a debenture to cover the shortfall and to pay it back over a longer than usual period of 15 or 20 years — rather than 10 years.