Northern Sport Centre Reaching Capacity
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Built in 2007, the City and UNBC are shareholders in the Northern Sport Centre photo courtesy UNBC
Prince George, BC – In presenting the Northern Sport Centre's annual report to City Council, Board Chair, Cliff Dezell, said the building is 'starting to bulge at the seams' and a process has begun to determine just what that means…
Both the City and UNBC, as the shareholders, agreed back in 2007 to pay $300-thousand dollars annually for 30-years towards funding operations at the facility. At last night's meeting, Dezell told councillors the number of active members at NSC has grown from 388 during 2009-2010, to almost 4000 now.
"We are close to, if not at capacity, for most of the building, for most of the programs, so we are beginning to look at what can we do," Dezell said. "So that will be a long conversation with the community, with people like the City of Prince George and others, to see whether or not we continue to do business-as-usual and try and maintain the membership as it is, or whether we, along with the community, need to do something different."
As far as NSC's fiscal picture for 2013-14, the facility generated almost $2.2-million dollars. Salaries and benefits for staff at the facility came in at just under $620-thousand dollars, while expenses totalled $1.5-million. Dezell pointed out that, included in those expenses, were $125-thousand dollars to cover capital improvements, meaning no money was drawn from the reserve. In fact, a $39-thousand dollar surplus was recorded and the reserve now stands at $1,078,266. "So we are attempting to generate a surplus every year, as well as pay for as many ongoing capital requests/maintenance items as we can."
Dezell said NSC policy is to create a $2-million dollar reserve for future capital requirements, but he did advise council of some weighty upcoming expenditures. He said the high usage is taking its toll on both the turf in the field house and the surface of the indoor track and it's expected turf replacement will need to be done in stages over 2019 and 2020, with an estimated price tag of $500-thousand dollars. An assessment of the track is underway, but initial word is that it will need some work post-2020.
In passing the annual shareholders' resolutions, Councillor Garth Frizzell commended the Northern Sport Centre's Board and staff on prudent financial planning and the facility's success. "I like it when organizations that we're partnering with come in and talk about how the surfaces are so well used that (they) have to consider bulging at the seems; I like it when we see organizations that we're partnered with come in and talk about how the operation is coming in so much above budget that they're able to use it, instead of capital; and I really like it when an organization comes in and says, 'These are our plans for capital replacement in 2019, five years from now.' That shows an impressive amount of planning and good controls on finances."
Comments
They should not be giving subsidies to any group. That way there would be money to maintain the building properly.
Start jacking up the fees if it gets too crowed!
If this facility is bulging at the seams then you need more capacity. Would a PAC ever be bulging at the seams?
Without subsidies many groups would not even exist.
To be bursting at the seams in such a facility is great news! I know the Aquatic centre is also bursting at the seams and cannot accommodate large swim meets. Maybe they should partner up for an expansion?!
Go easy on expansion ideas. Expand too large and then it won’t be meeting capacity.
NoWay is correct. If it becomes full or over full, increase fees to keep it in the black.
The fees already appear to be far below average so a small increase would probably not be an issue at all.
Northern Sports Centre innovators hang out with the same kind of folks who condone the postage stamp size clinic at the Phoenix Medical Centre? Never envisioning the future needs of more people? Small town mindset. Smaller is better? They’re thinking of closing a main thoroughfare (Edmonton St.) to compensate for their lack of foresight when it comes to hospital parking. Forward looking planners in this ‘burg IMO are really not quite clear on the concept of action reaction. The planners in this town , if they are not sure, Should just install a mini bus depot at every future venue. Kinda like the hospital. Problem solved (or diverted).
this little items tells me that it won’t be long and they will be telling the rest of us that we will be paying for a new bigger building…like it or not…
don’t be surprised if right after the winter games is over that those sing Kin2 and Kin3 will be moaning and groaning about how hard done by they are and begin demanding those ares be upgraded to the standard in Kin1…. they will probably get it too.
This is a good news story. If this many people are using the fitness centre, that’s a lot of people looking after their health, which will translate into lower health care cost in the long run. The problem is Northern Health saves money, when people get healthier, but UNBC and the City have to pay the money to make that happen.
It is a good news story. There are lots of students using the facilities, lots of winter activities happening now that never happened before. A very large user in the winter months is youth soccer. I think it’s time that an indoor soccer facility was built in Prince George with a full size field. This will take pressure off of the University and will provide another venue for multiple groups to access good indoor facilities. My family have been members up at NSC for many years. We started going there because it was less expensive and not as busy as the “Y”. It used to take extra time to get a work out in at the Y because there was always a waiting list to get on certain equipment. The other issue was so many people there that you always run into folks you know. NSC was quieter at one time but during prime fall and winter months, it can get very busy there too.
Having too many people using your facility is a good problem to have.
When was this pgguy1234? I left the NSC for the Y because it was almost $10 a month cheaper and no matter what time of day I went I never had more than a 5 minute wait. I would have liked to stay at the NSC but when there were sometimes week long waiting list for programs or squash courts it was hard to justify the extra cost.
Free parking at the Y.
Free parking at the NSC for members.
The Y sells memberships to ex-convicts for $5 a month for the poverty membership. The NSC membership includes the entire student body of UNBC making up a significant portion of the 4000 members.
Meanwhile most of the small private gyms in town have gone under as the market never really grew, it just shifted venues.
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