|
|
The Bragg Creek Community Association (BCCA) is hoping to start groundwork on the
new Community Centre this fall.
Plans are currently underway to see the new hall come to fruition quickly.
After following a well laid out selection process by the Design and Construction
Steering Committee, Poon McKenzie Architects (of Calgary) was chosen. Poon McKenzie
are the architects presently building the community hall in Okotoks.
During the next few weeks, Poon McKenzie will work with the findings of the needs
analysis report and seek further input as necessary from user groups to develop concept
drawings for the new buildings.
The drawings, including a footprint of the site layout, will be presented to the
BCCA membership for comment at an open house on June 23 from 5 pm to 7 pm and then
later for voting on at a general meeting on the same evening from 7:30 pm to 9:30
pm at Banded Peak School.
Child care will be provided free at the school during the general meeting.
Once the design has been selected, the architects will work on the engineering drawings,
while the Design and Construction Committee and the board will select a project manager.
Construction, or at least the groundwork, is set for this fall. To assist in building
the centre, the BCCA has recently been granted $125,000 by CFEP as disaster relief
funding.
A key component in choosing a building design will not only be whether it can be
affordably built, but can it be affordably run for the foreseeable future?
What facilities and programs are planned for this area or at other nearby locations?
Financial aspects also have to be considered such as what revenue is the facility
likely to generate? Will this revenue meet the operating costs and the future capital
costs (equipment, maintenance, renovations, future expansion)?
Then there are other considerations like what challenges and changes are neighboring
communities facing that we need to be aware of? How should the new facility be managed?
All of these considerations need to be incorporated in a business plan for the community
centre before the facility is constructed.
The BCCA board has considered a number of possible sources to develop a business
plan and has contracted the services of business consultant, Judith Nash, who has
considerable experience and expertise facilitating in this field and will work closely
with the BCCA board, the architects and other stakeholders to develop a business
plan that meshes with the new facility design to ensure a sustainable operation for
the future.
The board wishes to thank the many volunteers on all of the various committees and
sub-committees for the considerable time and effort they are putting in.
According to the BCCA constitution, only members will be able to vote at the general
meeting on June 23.
Memberships can be purchased beforehand at Bragg Creek Video or immediately prior
to the meeting between 7 pm and 7:30 pm.
 |