Council Receives ALC Construction Project Update

News

At its August 12 Committee of the Whole meeting, Council received its first progress update on the construction of the Active Living Centre (ALC).

Doug Ross, the ALC Manager, Project Program, provided details on what has been accomplished so far, what’s currently happening, and what’s planned for the next quarter.

The project is being delivered under the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method, ensuring that the project does not exceed the maximum allowable cost of $135,941,009 and with the goal of completion by the fall of 2026.  

To date, construction is proceeding on schedule and within the approved budget.

Project Progress to Date:
Design work has focused on the essentials needed for early construction, including site utilities and pool foundations.

Since construction began in April, significant progress has been made on the site. A new underground storm main has been installed, bulk excavation for the basement is complete, and 80% of the foundational supports, called helical piles, have been installed. Basement waterproofing is 60% finished, and work has begun on installing the reinforcing steel for the basement slab.

Two permits have been submitted to Interior Health. The first covers the leisure pool, aquatics features, and pool systems. The second includes the 50m pool, sauna, steam room, adult hot tub, cold plunge pool, and changerooms. These permits are required to start constructing the leisure, 25m, and 50m pools. 

Current Activities:
The project team is now working on the detailed design of the building’s envelope and internal systems like mechanical, plumbing, and electrical. Construction activities include continuing excavation for the 50m pool and preparing for the first large concrete slab pour in the basement. Once the permits are approved, work will start on the pool piping, with concrete foundations around the 25m pool to follow.

Plans for the Next Quarter:
In the coming months, the team will finalize the design of the building’s envelope, the internal systems and finishes. Work will begin on landscaping plans and the structural design for key areas like the gymnasium, fitness centre, and public spaces will also be completed.

Major construction milestones in the next quarter include finishing the concrete foundations for the 50m pool by October and beginning the installation of the steel structure for the natatorium, where the pools are located, by mid-November. Completion of the natatorium steel structure is scheduled for the end of the year.

Public Engagement:
The ALC project team has been actively engaging the community, including presenting updates at the Vernon Tourism Conference, the Chamber of Commerce Expo and the Kalamalka Rotary Club.

The team also hosted two public engagement sessions with the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) community. The goal of the sessions was to learn how the project team could meaningfully reflect the syilx culture in the facility, which is one of Council’s objectives for the project. Feedback from these sessions was positive and will help guide the inclusion of syilx cultural elements in the ALC’s design.

Sponsorship & Naming Rights:
Now that construction is well underway, the ALC project team will begin to consider sponsorship and naming rights opportunities. Businesses, organizations, or individuals can become involved with the ALC project through the donation or gift of an amenity or through naming rights.

The first step in either of these two sponsorship options will be for the project team to issue a request for expressions of interest to the community to gauge interest and begin conversations with interested parties.

As construction progresses, more updates will be available the City’s website Vernon.ca/news and, on the project website, vernonalc.ca, including a live construction camera.

The ALC project team will provide quarterly updates to Council on the progress of the construction project. The next quarterly update to Council is expected in December.

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