Public to get first look at Regina catalyst committee projects

On Monday in the AGT Lounge at Mosaic Stadium, Regina residents will have the opportunity to learn more about some major projects the city is looking to take on.

They include consultations for a new arena, a soccer/baseball complex, an aquatics centre and a refurbished downtown library.

The presentations being made are all thanks to work done by the city’s catalyst committee over the past couple of months. It has been tasked with prioritizing each project and its overall importance to the city.

Tim Reid, the president and CEO of Regina Exhibition Association Limited, is a member of the committee and says Regina is in a unique situation.

“Every day will be a different conversation about a different catalyst project,” Reid explained. “We find ourselves in a very unique place where most of our infrastructure is aged.

“Whether you go to the Brandt Centre, downtown library or go watch a baseball game (at Currie Field), many of the facilities we have are aging. We find ourselves in a place where at some point we’ll have to modernize our existing infrastructure or replace it.”

Reid feels the feedback the committee will receive from the public this week will help city council ultimately determine what’s needed now and what can wait.

“I don’t think we can afford to do all those (projects), but I think the idea of the catalyst committee is to say, ‘This is the project that should go first and here are the reasons why,’ ” Reid said.

The public engagement sessions will be hosted from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily until Thursday.

As Reid mentioned, each day will focus on a different project.

The focus Monday is on the new arena, Tuesday’s discussion is the Regina aquatics centre, Wednesday’s consultation is on a multi-purpose baseball and soccer stadium, and Thursday’s conversation will be about the refurbishment/replacement of the downtown library.

An online survey is to go live on the city’s website by noon Monday. PowerPoint presentations of each of the projects are to be available here by noon Monday so people who can’t attend an information session can see the projects. There also is an online tool to submit questions to the committee.

The catalyst committee will present its findings to Regina city council before the end of the year.