One of Alberta’s oldest companies has an alternative for the on-again-off-again regional field house.

Sprung Instant Structures president Phil Sprung stands in the middle of a gym inside the company's Alderdyde-based headquarters. The company has drawn up plans for an indoor sports centre that the Sprungs hope could restart discussions over the regional field house. photo by Don Patterson

Sprung Instant Structures, based in Aldersyde, has drawn up a proposal for an indoor sports centre with a price tag nearly one-quarter the cost of a previous plan brought forward earlier this year.

“The architects developed the $43 million plan, which in short order after everybody sat down and all the region’s towns and cities saw what their piece of it would’ve been, realized it wasn’t going to happen for a lot of years,” said company president Phil Sprung.

The Sprungs have come up with a pared down plan using one of their unique structures.

The plan includes one large structure with two basketball courts, two volleyball courts, a soccer field and an indoor track. The 47-foot-high building would be entirely open on the inside with no internal supports and could also accommodate spectator seating.

A support building adjacent to the main structure would house a cafeteria, change rooms and a 5,000-square-foot training area. The facility could also include an outdoor soccer pitch to be used in the summer.

Sprung said the estimated cost for the plan would be $10 million plus the cost of land.

It’s a significantly different plan than one unveiled in May, which included two or three indoor fields, an indoor running track, sports training areas as well as outdoor fields and tennis courts.

The price tag for the entire proposal was more than $43 million – $35.7 million if built with two indoor fields and outdoor facilities, or an additional $7.4 million if a third indoor field was built.

Discussions between the MD of Foothills and the Towns of Okotoks, High River, Black Diamond and Turner Valley broke down due to the high cost of the project.

Sprung said the company’s proposal could help restart these discussions.

“I think it already has. I think that’s what everybody’s working at now is trying to get all of the players back in and salvage this thing while it’s still salvageable,” he said.

The plan includes room to grow in the future, with a proposed second indoor sports center as well as an expansion of the support building.

Given the nature of the buildings, Sprung said they would be easily expandable.

“With this solution, you start with something that’s feasible, that’s affordable now and build on it later,” he said.

The facility would need 7.5 acres for the first and second phases, but additional land would be needed if outdoor fields were included in the plan.

Sprung has built similar facilities across the globe.

The company built three structures for the Edge School in Springbank, two indoor rinks and a gymnasium. He said the project saved the school $8 million over what it would’ve cost to build conventional structures. It also built a facility in South Carolina that includes three basketball courts, a raised running track and a weight room.

Sprung said he is hoping to overcome misconceptions about the type of structures the company manufactures. He said the building will require little maintenance compared to a traditional structure. The lower perimeter of the outer covering would also include a hard surface to prevent vandalism, said Sprung.

He said the building covering will need to be replaced in 30 years and the work would be far less than the cost of repairing a regular roof.

Okotoks Coun. Naydene Lewis reviewed the plan and said it’s a realistic option municipalities should consider. She took a tour of the company’s headquarters in Aldersyde last week organized to show representatives from local municipalities and user groups what can be accomplished with a Sprung building.

“I’m extremely impressed,” Lewis said.

She stressed if the proposal goes ahead, it will have to be collaboration between regional municipalities and user groups. However, Lewis said sports associations that would use the facility will also have to be involved with raising money to help build the facility.

According to Lewis, the previous plan was a non-starter, primarily because of its high price tag.

“It’s not an option,” she said. “We just want a soccer field that can be used 365 days a year by the various groups. It was never, ever supposed to be that much.”

The building can’t be built fast enough for user groups.

“We need it and the faster we can get it would be fantastic,” said Ed Arnone, Okotoks Minor Soccer Association vice-president.

Not only would it provide a field the group could use year round, he said it would also be something the association will be able to count on having available for practice on a regular schedule.

“We could keep up with the training, which keeps the kids’ skill levels up so we can compete,” Arnone said.

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