Important step forward for Cambridge Recreation Complex; new Community Hub

Posted on Wednesday August 26, 2020

Site preparation is now underway for the Cambridge Recreation Complex and the surrounding area which will ultimately form an exciting new community hub in the south of the city.

The site will also include an elementary school from each of the Waterloo Region District School Board and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, a branch location of Idea Exchange (Cambridge Public Library). Preparation for a neighbouring residential development called SouthPoint is also underway.

This marks a significant step forward in the development of the Cambridge Recreation Complex, a multi-use city facility that reflects extensive public consultation, and the community hub. Site work includes land grading, street and trails development, and servicing infrastructure, such as water and sewer.

When this area is fully developed, about 26,500 residents will be within a 15 minute walking distance to the new Recreation Complex. Amenities will include 25m swimming pool, leisure pool and warm water/therapy pool, gymnasiums, a fitness track and multi-purpose rooms, and branch location of Idea Exchange.

Next steps for the facility are site plan process and detail design, which typically takes between 18 and 24 months. Groundbreaking for the Recreation Complex is expected to begin in 2022, with a target opening date of 2025.

The community hub is being created on 32.5 acres of land owned by the City in southeast Cambridge. To learn more about the Recreation Complex including project background and upcoming work, visit www.cambridge.ca/RecComplex. 

For more information on the community hub partners, visit:

Quotes:

“I look forward to working with our partners at the school boards, Idea Exchange and the development community to create a vibrant community hub for all Cambridge residents to use and enjoy. Reaching this milestone has been a long time in the works and I’m thrilled to see that ground work has begun. I believe this has been a thoughtful collaboration which will nourish community life and provide a wide range of recreation and sport options. ” ~ Mayor Kathryn McGarry, City of Cambridge

“Preparing this site marks an important and exciting step for the Waterloo Region District School Board and The City of Cambridge. Once opened, our new school will welcome over 500 students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 and also include 6000 square feet of dedicated child care space. We are excited to be a part of this new development and community hub that will bring together and benefit the people of this city and beyond.”
~ Jayne Herring, Chairperson, Waterloo Region District School Board

“Waterloo Catholic is thrilled to be part of this collaborative community partnership.  We believe that this will be a win-win-win project for all involved and we are extremely pleased to have a new home for the students of our growing board.  We know that they and the broader community will be well served by this undertaking.”
~ Loretta Notten, Director of Education, Waterloo Catholic District School Board

"It is very exciting to see this new community hub take shape with all the community partners. It will be a place where lifelong learning, play, and recreation go hand in hand. Our new location will include spaces for reading, studying, making and collaborating while offering innovative programs, vibrant collections, and digital resources for all visitors." ~ Gary Price, Chair, Idea Exchange Board of Trustees

“We are excited to bring this new community to Cambridge, this project has been many years in the making and we are excited to blend the creation of the newest destination community next to the new Cambridge recreational complex. We think it will be a wonderful amenity for the new residents and the existing community” ~ Paul Puopolo, President - Polocorp 

 

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Media contacts: 

Susanne Hiller
Director of Communications
City of Cambridge
hillers@cambridge.ca 

Lynsey Slupeiks
Communications Officer - Media and Issues
Waterloo Region District School Board
lynsey_slupeiks@wrdsb.ca

John Shewchuk
Chief Managing Officer
Waterloo Catholic District School Board
John.Shewchuk@wcdsb.ca

Jennifer Tupling
Marketing and Communications Specialist
IDEA Exchange
jtupling@ideaexchange.org

Joseph Puopolo
Chief Marketing Officer
Polocorp Inc.
joseph@polocorpinc.com