Ontario Construction News staff writer
A construction project underway in Toronto will revitalize the Wallace Emerson community recreation centre and park and create a new child care centre.
Construction of the new facility and phase one of park improvements has already begun on portions of the site as part of the Reimagine Galleria Development plan. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025.
The project, designed by Perkins&Will, will double the size of the current recreation centre – to about 89,500 sq. ft. and construct a new childcare centre for 62 children, a full-size gym with a running track, dance and aerobic studios, an aquatic centre including a six-lane 25-m. pool and a leisure pool, and an outdoor running track on the roof of the building.
It will feature:
- a high-performance building envelope
- high-efficiency heat pumps, which will heat and cool the entire building and reduce the use of fossil fuels
- heat recovery to pre-heat the pool water
- renewable energy through solar photovoltaic panels
- LED light fixtures to reduce energy use.
Wallace Emerson Park will also be revitalized and expanded.
The first phase of park improvements will feature a BMX/skateboard park, skating trail, leisure/shinny pad that can be used as a multipurpose sports court in the summer with basketball hoops, splash pad, new landscaping, pathways, lighting, custom seating and outdoor furniture.
Also, construction includes a new field house that provides visitors with a snack bar, skate sharpening station, changing area and universal washrooms, and storage and utility spaces to support the outdoor skating facilities.
The design approach also extends to the new childcare centre, which is focused on creating a modern and inclusive space including playrooms with direct access to age-appropriate playgrounds.
Detailed information about this project is available on the city’s Wallace Emerson Park, Community Centre & Child Care Centre webpage.