Northern Sport Centre On-Time and On-Budget

Friday, February 23, 2007 02:13 PM

The newest addition to UNBC’s campus is set to open this fall

Construction of the $30.75-million-dollar Northern Sport Centre on the UNBC’s campus is on-time and on-budget...

That from Cliff Dezell, Board Chair of Northern Sport Centre Limited - the subsidiary corporation answering to the two shareholders, the City of Prince George and the University.

"So, now that the construction is going so well, we have to make sure that we’re ready to operate it when we open in September and that’s really what we’re focusing on right now." Dezell says that includes things like programming of the facility: who uses it, how do they use it, and how do they pay for it. He says "We are (also) looking at, probably, a private provider of some physiotherapy and (a) sports medicine research facility, so we’re dealing with a possible applicant there."

As for operational costs once the facility opens, both the City and UNBC will provide $300-thousand dollars as an annual subsidy. Dezell says a provisional budget estimates the total cost of running the facility will be about about $1-million dollars per year. "So the (Sport Centre’s) operator will be responsible for generating that additional $300- to $400-thousand dollars out of user fees, memberships and all those kinds of things."

The Board Chair says, "It is anticipated right now, although we’ve signed no contract, (that) the university - as well as being the owner since it’s on university land - will be the operator and; therefore, the people who run the facility will be university employees."

Dezell says the two sides need to finalize the drafting of the legal contract, which he expects will happen over the next month.

The City, meantime, approved its portion of this year’s operating costs - $150-thousand dollars for the half-year - at Wednesday’s budget meeting. UNBC’s budget will be finalized on March 30th.

(At last week’s public forum to gather support for a proposed "Centre for the Arts" in downtown Prince George, City Centre Ventures held up the community-driven Northern Sport Centre as a model of success. In an article tomorrow, Opinion250.com will look back at the collaboration that led to this new ’jewel’ in the crown atop Cranbrook Hill, and what lessons it offers to proponents of the Arts Centre)

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Posted on Friday, February 23, 2007 02:13 PM in News by Michelle Cyr-Whiting

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Comments

Posted by: Palopu on February 23 2007 8:38 PM

Are they not still waiting for the $5 Million from UNBC, for the completion of this project.

$600,000.00 subsidy from the City and UNBC per year. Isnt that just wonderful. In addition the people who run this project will have to generate a further $400,000.00 per year in revenue. UNBC Union scale salaried employees to run the facility.

When I see numbers like this as a result of the Provincial Government giving us $20 Million for a Project, I wish they would keep their money.

Heres how is works. Province give $20 Million, City gives $5 Million UNBC gives $5 Million, Cost to run facility 1 Million per year. Cost to taxpayers after 1st year of operation. $31 Million dollars. Cost per year thereafter minimum $1 Million.

Benefits???? Who knows. If the benefits come from us paying out tax dollars, then we would have been far better off keeping the money in our jeans.

Posted by: owl on February 24 2007 12:58 AM

In her book, "Dark Age Ahead", Jane Jacobs wrote about the loss of control by communities of what gets done with their taxes.

In other words, the local community has little say in how senior government money is spent. Senior government will deposit a captial improvement into a community without the community's approval and the community gets stung with the ongoing oparting costs which will typically be a multiple of the capital cost.

The sports centre is a good example of that.

Posted by: Chadermando on February 24 2007 3:02 AM

To further on that thought Owl. Its funny how the provincial government finances this as long term debt (capital project), and then can still claim the surplus this year for $20 million not yet spent.

Meanwhile the provincial government uses this so called surplus to cut income taxes for votes and downloads service costs to municipalities. The municipalities in turn tax your right to own a home despite your income level to pay for the on going service costs that they took all the political credit for and really took none of the financial responsibility for.

If you're a high wage earner you might come out ahead, but if you're on a fixed income or out of work for periods of time you may lose your house to the home taxes.

I guess this will be another permanent 2% home tax increase.

To get the other $half million from students they will likely initiate a forced mandatory service fee for all students who wish to take a course, and really only came for their education. Most could care less about subsidizing someone�s fancy sports centre, but they will have to pay as 'part of their 'shared cost' when they pay tuition. Likely to be a few hundred dollars per semester.

Posted by: metalman on February 24 2007 9:07 AM

They're going to have to rent and lease out this rhinestone studded elephant to any user group they can get.
metalman.

Posted by: jonnypg on February 24 2007 9:21 AM

Would have been a nice bridge for that price!

Posted by: jonnypg on February 24 2007 9:29 AM

Would have been a nice bridge for that price!

Posted by: jonnypg on February 24 2007 9:31 AM

OOPS..Double posting!

Posted by: realitycheck on February 24 2007 3:32 PM

Given the situation that UNBC is already in and the competition it faces for students it's hard to argue that this isn't a wise investment.
I travel a fair bit and the most common question I hear is "Is there really no athletic facilities at UNBC?? Why would anyone interested in a rounded university experience go there vs. another similar university (ie. TRU)".
UNBC's advantage on the competition is to match what they have and then be able to offer what they can't.....now they can. Can expansion of the medical program into areas that take advantage of the NSC be far behind (eg/ physiotherapy, kinesiology, etc..)?? There is tons of demand for these courses unlike the 3 or 4 they're shutting down that had barely a handful of graduates.
Strategic investment is what it's about.....smart....finally.

Posted by: Palopu on February 24 2007 4:52 PM

The proposed cost of running this facility in 2004 was as follows:
Costs:
Utilities, Maintenence, Custodian $682,000.00.
Staff,Administration Costs
$260,000.00
Total $942,000.00

Revenues;
Student Membership $200,000.00
Staff Membership $70,000.00
Public use $90,000.00
Parking Rentals, other $404,000.00
Total Revenues $924,000.00

Net loss $18,000.00

We are now being told that the City and the University will subsidize this facility to the tune of $600,000.00 which means that there original numbers were ***haywire*** much like those that came up with the idea in the first place.

This is another example of poor planning in Prince George at its best.

Posted by: realitycheck on February 24 2007 5:20 PM

From day one of the current NSC incarnation it has always been planned with a $300k per year subsidy from UNBC and the City. From day one.
Can't speak for other previous plans but this I know...even when they were cosidering P3 the $$$ was on the table.

Posted by: Palopu on February 24 2007 6:01 PM

If thats so then they should change the information on the UNBC Sports Centre Website because there is absolutely no indication that this facility would be subsidized in their list of **Costs and Revenues*.

I suspect that the subsidy came along after they agreed that they would build it for $31 Million.

In any event check it out.

Posted by: realitycheck on February 25 2007 2:21 AM

Likely so....good eyes!

Posted by: Nowicki on February 25 2007 2:33 PM

The rationale for the sport center is that it will attract students, but 1,000,000 per year is a lot of money for a remote facility up on the hill. UNBC current sport center lacks operational money for coaches, e.g. wrestling.

Well, it is done, but next time they can invest on expanding the facilities near CN center and swimming pool and develop a monorail or free shuttle 24/7 from UNBC dawn the hill. There was no buses on Sundays for students and students raised it publicly with the former governor general when she visited UNBC.

In reply to realitycheck concerning more Medical programs in UNBC, there was a proposal for a Medical Engineering program in UNBC in 2004-5 in CSAM college, but CSAM dean awarded the guy who pushed the proposal by laying him off. This month CNC got more than 1 Mil for the program/facilities and expects
60 students. Another example of mismanagment and missed opportunity in UNBC enrolments.

The problems in UNBC are mainly due to mismanagment of human and financial resources.

Posted by: owl on February 25 2007 8:51 PM

"Medical Engineering program in UNBC" ????

What are you referring to Nowicki? Biomedical engineering? The CNC program is a medical laboratory technology program, not biomedical engineering. There is a considerable difference.

Here is a description of one program in Ontario http://www.genie.uottawa.ca/mcg/eng/ug/biomed_mech_eng.php

It used to be that the education for this type of work was a combination of a medical and an engineering degree, the same as the education for a person working in medical jurisprudence is typically a medical degree and a degree in law.

There are also progams which educate those who build prosthetics. There is one at BCIT.
http://www.bcit.ca/study/programs/7100diplt

"CSAM" ???? Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine????

Are you thinking of the CSMLT (Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science)?