New Indoor Velodrome?

The success or failure of three years of planning for a $30-million indoor velodrome and recreational centre could be known next week when the proposal goes to the city's Community Services Committee of council.

The proposal, part of the city's Argyll Park Master Plan, is to turn the aging outdoor Argyll velodrome, which is usable about four months of the year, into an 102,844-square-foot indoor, multi-sport complex that will include a year-round, world-class-standard cycling track. It has already received the support of the City of Edmonton Community Services

Department and the majority of area residents and stakeholders who attended an open house last fall.

"It's important to understand it's not just the velodrome that's being proposed," said Alex Stieda, a former world-class cyclist and a spokesman for the Argyll Velodrome Association that is behind the proposal. "It's the master plan for Argyll Park, to kind of renew the park. It's not just a cycling track. It's a multi-sport facility ... built to energy conservation standards."

As is the case with all such developments, there are opponents, including the Argyll Community League that will oppose the presentation when it goes to committee Monday morning.

"The community league position is we love it, just not there," said president Mike Leedham. "It should be on an arterial road somewhere. The River Valley Bylaw, the Recreational Facility Master Plan, just about any city policy document you can find that deals with major recreational facilities, say they should be on arterial roads. And it's not even close.

"Other than that, it's a fantastic facility for the city. If we could provide access to the thing, other than having to drive up residential streets, there probably wouldn't be a problem with it."

The community league has suggested the facility be moved further south, to John Fry Park, but Stieda says the current location is the best. The proposal calls for the new facility to be built on the footprint of the existing velodrome that was built for the 1978 Commonwealth Games.

"The location is the key," said Stieda. "Where it is right now is the best location in the city, because of the history, the infrastructure's already there, it's on the River Valley trail system that means ease of access."

Stieda envisions many of the users of the new facility would not drive to it through the residential streets, but would use the River Valley trails to bike or walk or run to it. At least in the summer months.

"One of the great features is you can ride your bike, walk, use whatever human power to get there in a safe way, and then take part in the activity of your choice when you get there. Being accessible on the River Valley trail system is very important."

He said the city did a traffic study and concluded there would likely be about a three-fold increase, but it would be spread out over 12 months of the year, not just the summer months.

One of the keys is the removal of the BMX track that is next to the velodrome. Stieda said it has become so popular it requires a bigger area and more parking that can't be accommodated in the new proposal. That, he said, would seriously reduce vehicle use -- because virtually all BMXers drive to the facility -- and also reduce noise.

The proposal calls for a 250-metre cycling track that would meet the current International Cycling Union standards and would be only the second such track in North America. It would also include a 300-metre running or walking track, a two-storey fitness facility designed for a maximum membership of 750 people, various athletic fields in the cycling track infield suitable for sports such as futsal or rugby, plus facilities for handball, basketball and badminton.

"What drove this is the end-of-life aspect of the outdoor velodrome," said Stieda.

"We realized even three years ago, are we going to spend another million or two to renovate the track again, does that make sense in this environment, with the weather issues? No, it doesn't. If track

cycling is to continue in this kind of harsh environment, it really needs to be covered."

At the open house last September, 241 feedback forms were received by the city, with 157 supporting the proposal as it stands and another 56 supporting it with suggestions. Only 28 opposed the re-development.

A further breakdown showed that of 79 Argyll residents who responded, only 16 opposed the proposal. Of the 111 residents of Argyll, Hazeldean, Avonmore and Ritchie neighbourhoods who responded, only 26 did not support the redevelopment.

The two concerns raised were access and parking. Stieda said that with the removal of the BMX track, the potential for 70 new parking stalls, a new traffic entry off 88th street and restricted on-street parking could actually alleviate some of the traffic problems.

If the proposal gets approval from city council, Stieda said the AVA will be looking for financial support from all levels of government to provide about two-thirds of the required funding with the remaining one-third coming through fundraising efforts.

"If and when we get the go signal, we'll probably give ourselves a year to fundraise to get enough money to begin construction a year from now," he said.