Timeline of the Cambridge Recreation Complex

Cost of building recreation complexes New facilities will be built in Cambridge, Kitchener and Guelph and the price tags are more than initially planned. Heather Senoran reports.

The City of Cambridge is moving forward with its multiplex project.

Here's a look back at all the big decisions - and setbacks - it took to get this point.

2014/2015

Conestoga College agrees to lease part of its Cambridge campus to the city. The deal would allow for the construction of four ice pads, along with a gym and a pool.

April 16, 2015

The City of Cambridge says it plans to partner with Conestoga College to build a 150,000-square-foot facility on the Fountain Street campus. The project is estimated at $53 million.

April 17, 2015

A decision on the proposed Conestoga College location is delayed. Residents voice their concerns about the location and accessibility. Some community members complain that it is too far from the city centre, sparking protests and heated council meetings.

April 29, 2015

Councillors vote 6-3 in favour of moving ahead with the Conestoga College location. Construction isn't expected to begin until at least 2018.

July 7, 2015

A petition against the Conestoga College location amasses over 1,000 signatures

July 8, 2015

Council decides to move forward with the multiplex at Conestoga College despite public opposition.

November 12, 2015

Designs are revealed for the proposed Conestoga College location.

December 2, 2015

The cost of a proposed multiplex jumps from $53 million to $80 million.

April 14, 2016

About 200 Cambridge residents hold a rally where they discuss creating a petition urging council to change the location from the Conestoga College campus.

May 3, 2016

Mayor Doug Craig puts forward a motion to postpone a decision on the Conestoga College land lease. Coun. Frank Monteiro says the location is "set in stone."

May 4, 2016

Councillors agree to take another look at where the multiplex will be built.

December 8, 2016

A multiplex task force narrows down a list of 34 proposed properties to six. The two top spots are identified as the Grand River Flea Market on Hespeler Road and a vacant lot at the corner of Pinebush Road and Franklin Boulevard. Also on the short list: the Cambridge Sports Park and 112 Pinebush Road. Two other locations the task force looked at are the north corner of the intersection of Franklin at Savage Drive and the Conestoga College-owned property on Fountain Street South.

March 17, 2017

City staff add up the cost of relocating the proposed multiplex. Their projected budget for the Conestoga College property on Fountain Street was $6 million. Two preferred locations emerge. One at 261 Hespeler Rd. would cost nearly twice that of the college site. The second option, 220 Pinebush Road, would be almost five times the expense.

September 21, 2017

The Cambridge Centre Mall is proposed as a possible location for the multiplex. The estimated cost of the project is between $75 and $80 million.

February 7, 2019

The proposed multiplex at the Cambridge Centre Mall is deemed too expensive. The city decides to look for a new location.

March 6, 2019

City staff present a new cost estimate for the multiplex. It has risen from $80 million to $130 million due to rising construction costs.

May 14, 2019

Sports organizations weigh in on the Cambridge multiplex plan at a public meeting. One of their suggestions is for a longer pool length. Mayor McGarry says it is important to ensure the city can host out-of-town teams and support local tourism.

May 29, 2019

A new site is proposed for the multiplex -- a plot of unused city-owned land in southeast Galt. An online survey found that the 909 respondents preferred the site at Dundas Street South and Branchton Road. It received 29 per cent of the total vote, followed by 261 Hespeler Road and the Grand River Flea Market Block. The estimated cost of the project, if it were to be built in southeast Galt, is estimated at $59 million. At this time, most of the money is expected to come from development charges in the city and $15.2 million would come from property taxes.

June 18, 2019

Council approves the southeast Galt location. The new multiplex hub will be known as Southpoint. Council says it will include a pool, multiple gyms and a fitness track. Ice rinks will not be included in the new multiplex, but the city says it will add a second ice pad when rebuilding the Preston Auditorium.

August 26, 2020

The public is given its first detailed look at the new multiplex plan, which includes a recreation complex, library, a public and Catholic school, and a housing development with 300 homes – including houses, townhomes and apartment buildings. "This will virtually be like a new small town within our City of Cambridge," Mayor Kathryn McGarry tells CTV News. The city says the groundbreaking is set for 2022, with the hub completed by 2025.

May 17, 2022

Cambridge council approves the next step of the design phase and says it will hire an architect. The cost of the project has increased from the original $66 million to $101 million. A smaller $84 million option, with a smaller pool and no running track, will also be considered. Mayor McGarry says the city will lobby upper levels of government for grants and will also look at development charges and issuing debts to pay for the project. The city says it hopes to have an architect on board by mid-July and present the detailed design for the multiplex by early 2023. Construction is expected to be complete by 2025.

May 5, 2023

Cambridge council approves the final budget of $107.9 million. The building will have a 10-lane lap pool and leisure pool, as well as basketball courts, a running track and fitness studio. Idea Exchange, which is being rebranded as the Cambridge Public Library, will also have a branch on site. “We need to build for the capacity of tomorrow, not the capacity we have today,” said Ward 7 Councillor Scott Hamilton. “We only have one chance to do this right.” Mayor Jan Liggett called the original plan “a mistake” that “would have been wrong for that location.” Construction is expected to start in July 2024, with the complex set to open to the public in September 2026.

February 28 2024

City council approves the washroom design of the Cambridge Recreation Complex, after much discussion and debate about the change rooms. At issue, the gender-neutral common areas. Staff are hopeful they can break ground by summer. The price tag of the building is budgeted at just under $109 million.

September 3, 2024

Construction has not yet begun. Council votes 8-0 to award the tender to Melloul-Blamey Construction in Waterloo, who placed a bid of $93.15 million plus another $1.07 million for the community park development.