City council pushes ahead with referendum on new Crystal Pool

Victorians could be asked if they want the city to borrow up to $168.9M to build a new Crystal Pool—and where to put it. The public ask is lessened slightly with the city’s plan to allocate $17M from its parking reserve fund.

In a unanimous vote that followed myriad amendments on Thursday, the council’s committee of the whole agreed to kick-start a referendum on replacing the 53-year-old facility which staff said “has come to the end of its productive life.” The council would have to greenlight the vote.

“I’m not 100% certain that this is the right time to be expending $200 million on a recreation centre,” Mayor Marianne Alto said following the lengthy meeting which was extended by two hours.

“Having said that, I am content with putting that question to the public.”

Council heard Thursday how building and labour costs, inflation, and updated environmental regulations combined to balloon the price well beyond its 2018 estimate of $69.4M.

Alto lamented not approving pool construction six years ago when it would have cost one-third the price. “If we had, we would be swimming in the pool by now,” she said.

Through a referendum, which will cost $600K, residents will be asked whether they want to borrow the money for a new pool and if so, whether it should be built where it currently sits or on the sports fields adjacent to it. Interestingly, that’s where the pool was to have been constructed six years ago before the plan was nixed partly by public pressure, including from the North Park Neighbourhood Association which didn’t want to lose its playground during a years-long construction.

The city’s hired designers, HCMA Architecture + Design (HCMA), came up with three potential locations:

1. Central Park North: the current site with an estimated price tag of $209.2M

2. Central Park South: next door, currently home to a softball diamond and basketball/tennis courts, which would cost an estimated $215.9M

3. 940 Caledonia: the parking lot next to Royal Athletic Park with a ballpark cost of $232.9M

HCMA examined the sites and Turnbull Construction Project Managers (TCPM) weighed the pros and cons of keeping the pool open during construction. Their conclusion: the current site, Central Park North, would be the least expensive option “with a shorter construction timeline and reduced complexity and risk”—approximately three-and-a-half years.

‍ 'Reasonable' to have a second choice on referendum

Even though staff told the council it would be risky to keep the current pool open regardless of which option is selected, the council decided to put two locations on the referendum ballot.

If they opt for the current site and the council approves, the pool will be closed and all patrons will have to use other facilities. If they want it built next door on the sports fields, the pool would remain open—even though staff has said this poses a possible safety risk—and those sports fields would be moved to the current site.

“Given the enormity of the project, it is only reasonable to include a second option” so voters have a choice, said Coun. Jeremy Caradonna. “This is a decision that is too big for nine people to make.”

Time flies, things change

The decision represents a remarkable turnaround for a project that looked dead in the water following the pandemic—and after windows closed on federal and provincial grant opportunities—but it was revived in February when the council directed staff to identify potential sites and to prepare for a possible referendum on whether to go into long-term debt to build it.

‍ A January 2023 council memo said the pool no longer meets accessibility requirements and confidence was low the building could survive a seismic event. Further, it said “the mechanical systems are inefficient, account for approximately 40% of Victoria’s corporate GHG emissions (city-owned buildings), and require frequent and costly maintenance.”

The memo, a council member motion pushed by Caradonna, said a new Crystal Pool Replacement Project “is likely to be the most expensive capital project in the City of Victoria’s history, likely in excess of $100M, and almost certainly in excess of the original $70M budgeted for the project.”

Staff recommends closing current pool during construction, regardless

City staff told councillors it would not recommend keeping the pool open regardless of which building option was selected due to possible impacts of blasting and excavation.

“We may have a failure that would require the facility to close” during construction, the council was told.

If that happens, Caradonna said no more money would be sunk into it.

Crystal Pool is home to multiple swim clubs, learn-to-swim programs for children and adults, seniors swimming groups, specialized programming for those with physical and mental disabilities, and masters swimming groups. Last year, it received 401K visits, city staff told the council. Shutting it down would leave many pool patrons with few options.

Swimmers want new pool but don't want to be displaced

“Put simply, if Crystal Pool is closed during construction, the Orcas and other aquatic users will likely be without a home,” the Oak Bay Orcas Swim Club, who for years have practised weekly at the Crystal Pool, said in a letter delivered to the council on Wednesday.

Staff advised the council that swimmers would be given access to other area pools, similarly to when the pool is shut down annually for maintenance.

“This would be an extended shutdown of the facility,” said Derrick Newman, the city’s parks, recreation and facilities acting director.

Kaitlyn Chewka, president of the non-profit Orcas says her group supports building a new pool but it doesn't want to be displaced.

“The reality is there are not enough aquatic facilities in the region to meet the demand for aquatic programming,” she told Capital Daily.

The council said if the current site is selected it likely would temporarily move non-pool recreational activities to Crystal Garden on Douglas—where the pool was located before it was replaced in 1971 with the current one on Quadra. The consultants said shuttering the pool during construction would save as much as $9.6 million over the four- to five-year building period.

Coun. Chris Coleman said he saw two wins here. One, that any new pool definitely would be 50m in length (as opposed to 25m), and 2) that staff is already working on a contingency plan should the pool need to be closed during construction, as staff has advised.

‍ What’s next

Staff told the council it would need six months to ready the referendum for the public vote in the first quarter of next year. There would be 18 months of design work before construction could begin, with a projected completion by late 2028 or early 2029.

‍ How much is this going to cost us, tax-wise?

Under a Central Park North scenario, the total estimated tax increase would be 8% over five years, meaning the average residential homeowner would pay $256 over that time and the typical business would shell out $660. Should the council decide to borrow $17M from its reserve parking fund (which has a current kitty of $18M) property tax increases could drop to 7.24% from 8% over five years for a pool built in Central Park North or to 7.54% for a pool built just to the south. The council also suggested the city seriously pursue more grants, funding, and sponsorship opportunities.

Crystal Pool & Wellness Centre Feasibility Study rendering courtesy City of Victoria.

‍ What will the pool look like?

Lots of glass. Lots of natural light. According to the city’s feasibility study, the new pool would be 50m long and 18.5m wide. Depths would allow diving options up to a five-metre platform and features such as a climbing wall and rope swing. There would be a 25-metre leisure pool, hot pools, steam room, and sauna. It would have various change rooms including universal; fitness and multipurpose rooms, a half-gym, dance/yoga studio, seniors room, child-minding room, and an art room.

‍ Will I be able to park there?

Staff said a new pool on Quadra would strengthen the street as a major public transit thoroughfare. Parking would consist of at least 110 stalls, mostly underground, and a total of 100 long- and short-term bicycle parking stalls. Additional parking, the study suggests, could be had at the nearby Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.