The city should not only retain ownership of Guelph Sports Dome, it should expand programming there and move beyond primarily soccer, states a staff report to council.
“This option best serves the known needs, demands and gaps in municipal recreation service provision across the community,” says the report, which is heading to council’s committee of the whole for consideration on June 7.
“The space provided by the sports dome allows for a multitude of indoor year-round sport and recreation opportunities. It will enable the City of Guelph to equitably manage and monitor community needs and demand.”
The city assumed control of the dome – located in Centennial Park, behind College Heights Secondary School on College Avenue – in 2019, along with $250,000 in remaining mortgage debt.
At the time, council directed staff to oversee operation of the facility from Oct. 2019 to April 2020 and use collected data to develop a business plan for moving forward – whether to sell the facility, issue a request for proposals to operate it or continue with it under city control.
However, the pandemic prevented staff from offering a full program and assessing municipal use during that time frame, notes the staff report.
If council agrees to keep the dome in city ownership and operation, staff intend to expand programming in an effort to engage adult and youth audiences, as well as deliver family and community-based programs.
“Ideally, this approach and distribution of programming will help build a customer base as additional evening space becomes available,” the report said. “More importantly, it helps transform the sports dome from an historically one-sport facility into a hub of varied activity to encourage and support community wellbeing on a broader and more equitable scale.”
The facility is currently slated to receive $330,000 in capital repairs and maintenance this year, with an additional $500,000 required during the next decade.
It will cost roughly $336,000 annually to operate the dome, staff state, noting that cost is expected to be “fully offset with additional revenues generated from programming and facility bookings.”
The dome was built after the city was approached by Guelph Soccer Club Incorporated for assistance in constructing an indoor soccer facility in 2006. Land was provided by the city and it acted as guarantor of a bank loan to finance the construction.
A third corporate entity, Guelph Community Sports, was created to oversee operation of the facility.
