The new Hugh Boyd fieldhouse will have a larger kitchen than originally planned, upping the budget by $600,000.
Furthermore, a $250,000 moveable wall between the multipurpose rooms has been added to the project, allowing for a more efficient use of space.
Both of these changes will increase the project's budget in total by $850,000 on top of the $19 million already budgeted.
The 10,000-square foot fieldhouse was approved in principle in 2018 to serve the fields at Hugh Boyd Community Park.
The two-storey building will include multi-purpose rooms, change rooms, washrooms, storage space, a concession area and administrative space.
On July 22, council approved the replacement of a planned food servery for a limited-service kitchen - but not a full kitchen - as well as the addition of the moveable wall between the multipurpose rooms.
Originally, the 135-square-foot planned food servery, presented to council on July 2, would have a cost of $250,000 as part of the $19 million overall project budget.
However, the new kitchen will add 320 square feet and have a total cost of $850,000, requiring a budget increase of $600,000.
A food servery often just includes a sink, fridge and freezer, counter space for small appliances and a pass-through window counter.
It would have supported small activities such as seniors’ wellness programs, as well as being able to handle catered food and food warm-up.
The upgraded kitchen will support everything the food servery would have allowed, but it will also have a stove and oven, allowing for basic food preparation.
Some possibilities with this kitchen include heating pizza or preparing baked goods for youth programs.
The smaller kitchen would have required minimal maintenance and wouldn't have needed a Vancouver Coastal Health permit to operate. It also had no ventilation requirements and no impact to achieving passive house certification.
On the other hand, the new kitchen will require a grease trap, a domestic ventilation hood and minor ventilation requirements.
Even with these requirements, the building should achieve high-energy efficiency, city staff noted in its report, and should achieve passive house certification.
Coun. Michael Wolfe said he’s excited this new kitchen option will still ensure the highest passive house standard.
“I was excited that this option allows us to achieve the highest standard of energy efficiency in the building envelope,” he said at the July 22 city council meeting.
Moveable wall makes space more adaptable
Additionally, a $250,000 moveable wall between the two multipurpose rooms in the new facility will be installed.
According to the report, this will ensure a better use of the space and will make the rooms more adaptable.
Coun. Andy Hobbs said he’s pleased with all the updates, as this is a much needed facility for the city.
“Played there as a kid, our kids played there, and our grandkids are there now,” he said. “It’s a very heavily used series of fields. It (the project) meets a huge demand existing in the community.”
The Hugh Boyd Community Park is highly used by the community and local sport groups.
These new facilities will support the provision of community programs and offer opportunities to attract high-profile tournaments and sporting competitions, reads the report.
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