Arena and Aquatics Complex

Project Update

A groundbreaking ceremony to officially mark the start of construction on the new community centre that will include a twin-pad arena and a Peterborough Public Library branch at Lansdowne and Park streets was held on Thursday, December 8, 2022.

In September 2022 the project team announced that construction on the new community centre that will include a twin-pad arena and Peterborough Public Library branch will start within the next two weeks at the southeast corner of Lansdowne and Park streets. The media release can be seen at https://www.peterborough.ca/en/news/construction-to-begin-on-the-new-community-centre.aspx the project in anticipated to be complete by fall 2024.

On April 6, 2022 a public engagement session was held. An In-person “Open House” style viewing of project display boards where the community was invited to drop in was held between noon and 4 p.m. followed by a virtual Public Information Session, with participation online or by phone, between 6:30 p.m. and 8.00 p.m. The Public Information Session included a presentation from the project consulting team, Perkins + Will Architects, with a project update and site plan design details. The display boards and the presentation are posted in the Project Documents section.

Project Background

The City of Peterborough is planning to build a Community Arena and Aquatics Complex to meet the immediate and future recreational needs of our growing community. As a recreational hub, it will include a new twin-pad arena and indoor walking track with a future phase for an aquatic centre, combining spaces for play, spectating, fitness and sports. Supporting recreational opportunities through this new building and associated upgraded park space will enhance the quality of life for those who live and play in the city.

On November 9, 2021 the Arena Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee received an update on the project progress. The report and presentation are posted in the Projects Documents section. Highlights on the presentation show the site as it develops in Phase 1 and Phase 2 in preparation for a Site Plan Application in 2022

City Council approved Morrow Park as the location for the City's new Community Arena and Aquatics Complex on Monday, July 26, 2021. The staff report and presentation are posted in the Project Documents section of the project page.

Community Participation

On April 6, 2022 a public engagement session was held. The display boards and the presentation are posted in the Project Documents section.
“Our-long anticipated new community centre is well underway with plans for ‘shovels in the ground’ this autumn. We are hosting a public information session to share the design and seek feedback from the community and our user groups on the site plan,” said Councillor Lesley Parnell, chair of City Council’s Arena, Parks and Recreation portfolio. “The design now also includes a new unanimously approved by Council library branch within the same building/footprint. Come out and see the design.”

The community has been providing feedback on the development of this project since 2013 and helping to shape the design and building amenities via community forums, user group workshops and surveys. A dedicated website project page has been updated regularly with project related information and progress. The current connect project page has generated approximately 6,300 page views from about 2,400 visitors.

In April 2021 the community were invited to share their feedback on the project. The survey received 374 responses providing feedback on anticipated user age groups and travel patterns for the overall site facilities, preferences for use of the outdoor spaces and community response to sustainability feature options. 80% of the respondents where in favour of Morrow Park as the location.

A virtual public information session was held on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. See the slide presentation with the interactive mentimeter results under Project Documents to the right.