Maple Ridge and the YMCA have chatted about pairing up to run the new Albion community centre, now the city wants to take the next step and get some more details.
Council, on Tuesday, is to look at issuing an expression of interest, asking the YMCA, or any organization, if it wants to put in a formal proposal.
Council is also to considerd forming a task force composed of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District and the city, to determine if a three-way partnership involving the city, the school district and a third party operator, could run the new centre.
According to a staff report however, the city isn’t bound to make such an agreement and could just partner with a second party or run the facility itself.
But the report notes that selection of a suitable operating model for the centre “is critical to ensuring that community programming needs are met.”
The city has budgeted $600,000 a year to operate the community centre.
A major feature of the community centre will be a great room that could serve as a gymnasium or theatre. Storage space will be nearby for local theatre groups to store their props. There will also be three other rooms, plus a commercial kitchen that could offer culinary training.
The $8.5-million Albion community centre, which will have room for daycare and after-school programs, is being built simultaneously with the new $24-million South Albion elementary on the same property on 104th Avenue, just east of 240th Street.
Construction starts in October and both the school and centre are expected to be open by the fall of 2019.