East of the Red Rec Plex construction delayed

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This article was published 28/09/2023 (740 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The tentative opening date for the East of the Red Rec Plex has been pushed back.

In February, a public service report suggested the City of Winnipeg could begin constructing the 92,000-square-foot, city-owned complex in 2026, which would include an aquatic facility, two gyms, indoor track and fitness spaces, among other features.

It would be attached to the Transcona Library (1 Transcona Blvd.).

An update released Thursday says construction of the facility is now expected to begin in 2028, with the site opening around 2030.

The report warns those dates are still tentative.

“Subject to project approval and funding allocation as part of future capital budget submissions, it is estimated that the East of the Red Rec Plex could potentially open in early 2030. The establishment of contribution funding by other levels of government is as yet undefined, and will be dependent on preparing a refined cost estimate for the total value of the project,” the report notes.

The city’s 2023 budget includes $2 million for design work on the project, which should help refine its cost. Based on the previous plan to start construction in 2026, it was expected to cost around $89 million.

The city plans to issue a request for proposals to design the facility in late 2023.