The 72,000-sf Toronto York Recreation Centre in Ontario, which opened officially on April 23, is situated at the intersection of three neighborhoods: Mount Dennis, Keelesdale, and Rockcliffe.
The centre, which is owned by the city of Toronto and operated by its Parks, Forestry, and Recreation department, is free to the public. And since April through early July 10,000 people had signed up for its various programs. “We see this centre as a catalyst for growth,” says Duff Balmer, OAA, NSAA, MRIAC, Design Principal for Perkins +Will Canada Architects, which designed the building.
The rec centre cost 27.147 million Canadian dollars (US$21.45 million) to build. It was one of the initiatives that sprang from Toronto Mayor David Miller’s Strong Neighborhoods Task Force. It includes a 25-meter, six-lane indoor pool, double gym, fitness studio, weight room, indoor track, kitchen, five multipurpose rooms, and universal change rooms.
Lots of natural light streams into the rec centre's double gymnasium. Image: Tom Arban Photography
P+W engaged in “extensive” community outreach during the design process, which to Balmer’s surprise attracted a lot of younger people. Those sessions led to the inclusion of the track, a viewing gallery for the pool, a dance studio, and a music room.
“We also heard a lot about the need for safety,” says Balmer, which translated into streaming more natural light into the spaces. (The gym is the most obvious manifestation of this.)
The site of this 72,000-sf facility is complicated by being on the banks of a ravine for the Black Creek River. The landscape architect was Fleisher Ridout Partnership. Image: Tom Arban Photography
Prior to the rec center, this site had been underutilized. It had a raggedy baseball diamond, and its access area had devolved into a dumping ground that needed to be remediated before construction could begin.
The site is located on the west bank of a ravine along the Black Creek River, and the building needed to be positioned outside of the river’s floodplain, which limited the amount of land it had to work with.
A 25-meter, six-lane pool is one of the rec centre's features. Image: Tom Arban Photography
On the positive side, a vehicular bridge built over the river connects the rec centre to Keelesdale Park. And the facility, which is about eight miles from downtown Toronto, will be located near a train station for the new Metrolinx Eglinton Crosstown light-rail line, which is currently under construction.
The rec center was substantially completed last December and had a soft opening on February 18. The project’s hard and soft costs totaled C$33.27 million. The Building Team included Bondfield Construction Company (GC), the city’s Capital Projects unit (project manager), and Fleisher Ridout Partnership (landscape architect).
Related Stories
| May 16, 2012
AEG releases 3D video of L.A.'s Farmers Field
The Los Angeles Convention Center footage depicts the new convention center hall spaces, including a new lobby above Pico Boulevard, pre-function space, and what will be the largest multi-purpose ballroom in Los Angeles.
| May 7, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: TD Ameritrade Park
The new stadium for the College World Series in Omaha combines big-league amenities within a traditional minor league atmosphere.
| Apr 6, 2012
Perkins Eastman unveils Qatar mixed-use sports complex
Home stadium for Lekhwiya Club a vibrant addition to Doha’s architectural identity.
| Mar 6, 2012
EwingCole completes first design-build project for the USMA
The second phase of the project, which includes the academic buildings and the lacrosse and football fields, was completed in January 2012.
| Mar 1, 2012
Bomel completes design-build parking complex at U.C. San Diego
The $24-million facility, which fits into a canyon setting on the university’s East Campus, includes 1,200 stalls in two adjoining garages and a soccer field on a top level.
| Feb 24, 2012
Skanska hires Tingle as senior VP and national director for its Sports Center of Excellence
Tingle has worked in the architecture and construction industries for more than 30 years, and for the last 23 years, he has focused primarily on large-scale sports construction projects
| Feb 2, 2012
Shawmut Design and Construction launches sports venues division
Expansion caps year of growth for Shawmut.
| Jan 31, 2012
Fusion Facilities: 8 reasons to consolidate multiple functions under one roof
‘Fusing’ multiple functions into a single building can make it greater than the sum of its parts. The first in a series on the design and construction of university facilities.
| Nov 29, 2011
SB Architects completes Mission Hills Volcanic Mineral Springs and Spa in China
Mission Hills Volcanic Mineral Springs and Spa is home to the largest natural springs reserve in the region, and measures 950,000 sf.