1947 replies to this topic

[aaroninvictoria]

Sure, but I hope that candidates will be pressed on how they will handle all the upcoming infrastructure challenges, including this one. Too many of these folks get elected on social justice platforms that have little to do with municipal politics.

Paul Brown has some viable ideas about this... this it is what his company does for cities and municipalities in both Canada and the US. He can be contacted through openvictoria.ca He is running for Mayor of Victoria... Good guy.

[Mike K.]

Well I would kind of blame the citizen for that one. I have known for years.

You've known for years that the cost is nearing $60-million? In the back of my mind I thought maybe $20, but learning that it'll be nearly $60 was/is a total shock.

[G-Man]

The TC article that mentioned the project pegs the cost at just under $60 million.

Victoria will go bankrupt if it keeps this up: $60 million for a bridge; $60 million for a rec centre; hundreds of millions for sewage treatment, etc, etc.

You have known for two years yourself. From page 1 of this thread. :-)

[Mike K.]

There you have it. It's so rarely mentioned that even I forgot all the details

[Bernard]

Report out on the Crystal Pool and it is not good.

Will the City have a pool and a new $58 million debt or will they close it?

[Rob Randall]

Times - Colonist 16 Feb 2005

The city has budgeted $315,000 this year to replace tile, update pool systems and mechanical equipment replacement at the Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre. However, this building faces either demolition or substantial upgrading within the next five years.

[VicHockeyFan]

Dean Fortin: "As it [the report] highlights, the normal lifespan of the fitness centre is about 20 years so none of this is unusual for us to be bringing forward and it's been something we've been talking about for the last three years."

Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz1bFvnkEAL



Cedar Hill, Henderson, Gordon Head (with pool), downtown YMCA, Panorama (with pool), and some others are all well over 20 years old. I guess when your outdoor urinal is $30,000 and is only supposed to last 10 years, your thinking gets fuzzy.

The same type of thinking that says a 120,000 lb. (the weight of well over 650 people) railcar can use a bridge one day, and the next day it is unfit for cyclists and pedestrians crossing a few at a time.

[Nparker]

This 20-year lifespan figure seems somewhat dubious to me as well. If that's the case, then Commonwealth Pool in Royal Oak has only 3 more years left.

[Jacques Cadé]

This 20-year lifespan figure seems somewhat dubious to me as well. If that's the case, then Commonwealth Pool in Royal Oak has only 3 more years left.

I think we need a new policy:

In the interest of obtaining objective advice, any consultant hired to perform a condition assessment of a city facility is prohibited from subsequently bidding upon work resulting from that condition assessment.

In other words, tell the guy who's about to assess your pool that he will not get to work on the pool, regardless of what his report says. Then you might get an honest assessment.

Does such a rule already exist elsewhere?

[Bob Fugger]

Cedar Hill, Henderson, Gordon Head (with pool), downtown YMCA, Panorama (with pool), and some others are all well over 20 years old. I guess when your outdoor urinal is $30,000 and is only supposed to last 10 years, your thinking gets fuzzy.

C'mon VHF, stopping pissing on Dean-o's parade! Besides, I'm almost certain that I read the final cost of the urinal being more like $75k.

[sebberry]

C'mon VHF, stopping pissing on Dean-o's parade! Besides, I'm almost certain that I read the final cost of the urinal being more like $75k.

That's too much money to piss away on a urinal that does little to solve the problem it was supposed to solve.

[sebberry]

I think we need a new policy:

In the interest of obtaining objective advice, any consultant hired to perform a condition assessment of a city facility is prohibited from subsequently bidding upon work resulting from that condition assessment.

In other words, tell the guy who's about to assess your pool that he will not get to work on the pool, regardless of what his report says. Then you might get an honest assessment.

Does such a rule already exist elsewhere?

I would very much support this.

[Bernard]

I wonder when any of the current councilors used the pool for a swim or fitness? I think it would be a good question to ask them all. Maybe they do not use it so they really do not care about it.

[aaroninvictoria]

Yes this whole scene is really crazy.
The thing that got my blood boiling is that we don't get to find out about this untill it is an emergency... And not for just this issue but is for everything that comes from those guys...
And to top it off now we are going to spend a 1/2 a mil $ to close Beacon Hill to cars? Whatever! I use those streets on a daily basis, it is my moment of tranquility on my long trek home from work. (I am kidding there... I live 5 min from work, but the park is in-between and I use it... often)

[Ms. B. Havin]

Incredible, that these incompetents continue to get away with it...

Fortin: "...so none of this is unusual for us to be bringing forward..." None of this is unusual? What planet does he live on? And what is he talking about, "bringing forward"? Bringing forward? He means spending millions of dollars. What is this "bringing forward" of which he blabs?

Gah! Head'splodin'...

PS: +1 on the suggestion of a no-work-on-what-you've-assessed clause.

[Nparker]

PS: +1 on the suggestion of a no-work-on-what-you've-assessed clause.

+ another 1

[G-Man]

So are all of you saying that you don't want a rec centre anymore? I mean I am the first to say that this council has not been great with our finances but really as a person that uses Crystal Pool all the time the place is a bit of a heap. I for one hope that a replacement plan is put in place soon.

[Coreyburger]

I think we need a new policy:

In the interest of obtaining objective advice, any consultant hired to perform a condition assessment of a city facility is prohibited from subsequently bidding upon work resulting from that condition assessment.

In other words, tell the guy who's about to assess your pool that he will not get to work on the pool, regardless of what his report says. Then you might get an honest assessment.

Does such a rule already exist elsewhere?

The CRD had this rule with their consultant working on the sewage treatment plan. I don't know if BC Transit has something similar with regards to the Victoria Regional Rapid Transit project.

[martini]

Times - Colonist 16 Feb 2005

I was so stunned by this I had to google it. Gah!

http://victoriavisio...Victoria Vision)
From 2004...The facility is 33 years old, and is near the end of its life.

[Rob Randall]

Cedar Hill, Henderson, Gordon Head (with pool), downtown YMCA, Panorama (with pool), and some others are all well over 20 years old.

Gordon Head was recently renovated. Esquimalt was recently renovated as well--scary for me as it doesn't seem that old to me--I remember seeing it under construction in 1974. Panorama, Westshore, Juan de Fuca, and Oak Bay are among others that have been renovated however none can match the staggering $58 million cost of replacing the Crystal.