A Revelstoke Boxing Club plea for assistance in finding a new home sparked debate about community space at the Sept. 12 Community of the Whole meeting.
A.J. LeRose, president and head coach of the Revelstoke Boxing Club, appeared before the council requesting the club be given space to hold classes in the Century Vallen Building.
鈥淔or the past year, the Revelstoke Boxing Club has struggled to relocate since the eviction from the City of Revelstoke's property on Powerhouse Road after the building was deemed unsuitable for occupancy,鈥� said LeRose in his presentation to the council, pointing out the lack of affordable space for his non-profit group. 鈥淲e focus on ensuring that anyone, no matter the state of their ability to afford sports and activity is welcome in our club.鈥�
LeRose advised councillors of the club鈥檚 many achievements, including winning a bronze medal at the Canadian Nationals, a silver medal at the BC Golden Gloves, two provincial championships, multiple Bronze Gloves championships and three provincial championship contenders.
鈥淏oxing, and our club in particular, has had an immeasurable positive impact on the lives of many people in Revelstoke,鈥� he said.
Comments on LeRose鈥檚 presentation were held until the councillors considered correspondence later in the agenda where LeRose鈥檚 request was supported by 29 letters to the mayor and council.
In response to questions from Mayor Gary Sulz, LeRose explained there are currently some 40 members of the boxing club, which requires an 鈥渁bsolute minimum鈥� of 1,000 square feet. Classes are held late in the afternoon or early in the evening Monday through Thursday, with between eight to 16 people in attendance.
Director of Parks Laurie Donato explained that the Century Vallen building is currently fully used for storage and that major improvements would have to be made to accommodate user groups.
Coun. Tim Palmer noted that council tries to help groups as much as possible as they are important to the community. But, he pointed out, the city has a process for providing assistance and that the request needed to be put in context with the many other groups and the number of people they serve.
鈥淚 certainly won鈥檛 be prepared to go anywhere with this right now, recognizing it鈥檚 a challenge,鈥� he said.
Also, Palmer said there have been many requests over at least the last 15 years regarding Century Vallen and that substantial costs required for upgrades could divert funds from other projects.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e serious about a multiplex building, maybe that鈥檚 the time, even though it鈥檚 a long time away,鈥� he said.
Mayor Gary Sulz said that while council is willing to support community groups, many other issues need to be considered.
鈥淲e need to look at it from a physical capacity of our buildings and what is going to be the best for them in moving forward, and what鈥檚 going to happen from a financial perspective, and how are we going to recoup that money over a period of time,鈥� he said.
Steve Black, Director of Infrastructure and Planning, advised councillors that as well as the need for major improvements, staffing is an issue that comes up at every meeting. If the city decides to make improvements to the Century Vallen, consideration would have to be given to what other projects would be dropped, he added.
Black referred to the lack of storage for city equipment. He pointed out his department has developed a master plan for a public works yard, but funding has not yet been put into the long-term financial plan.
鈥淯ntil that time, we are not able to move that equipment.鈥�
Coun. Tim Stapenhurst asked Donato if she had a preliminary cost on bringing the building up to code. He expressed concern with using a building that would be assessed at around $1 million or more as storage, for the sake of convenience.
He argued against making a decision based on economics and how much it would cost to get the contents out of the building.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to see the building space be better utilized,鈥� he said. 鈥淧art of my concern is we have a trend to undervaluing or underutilizing city land to the best of its abilities.鈥�
In response to a question from Coun. Aaron Orlando, Donato said the city has no programs or policies in place to support clubs in their organizational development. But she added that she had asked the Boxing Club for a business plan, which she had not yet received. She added that groups are encouraged to share spaces but that it becomes problematic when a club wants to leave equipment in place.
鈥淚 know there is access to some grants, but it becomes difficult when a group doesn鈥檛 have a dedicated space,鈥� she said, noting city staff could possibly help with brainstorming to find a suitable place.
Sulz suggested that perhaps there are groups in the community who could assist the club in creating a business plan, and that council would accept the Boxing Club request as correspondence.
In terms of funding, Chief Administrative Officer Evan Parliament advised directors that the B.C.-Canada infrastructure program has been extended for 10 more years, with a $33 billion commitment and several funding streams available to all municipalities.
Under the Community Culture and Recreation Infrastructure stream, the city is eligible to apply for funding over the next decade for community cultural facilities, whether they鈥檙e new or for proposed renovations.
鈥淥f course, we have eyed that program for our new multipurpose facility,鈥� he said. 鈥淗owever, there is a renovation component of the stream where you can take an existing community space, either a fixed asset or lands, and convert it to community use.鈥�
