Windsor council approves $29M Adie Knox reno, with no swimming pool

Despite ongoing criticism from people who want the City of Windsor to reopen the swimming pool at the Adie Knox Herman Recreation Complex, council has voted to go ahead with a $29-million renovation that will convert the space into a gymnasium and add new amenities.

"When I hear about the Friends of Adie Knox, there's no bigger friend of Adie Knox than me, and those who are going to support this," Mayor Drew Dilkens, the leading proponent of the project, said during a council meeting Monday night. 

The plan for the complex built in 1970 has been scaled back — originally earmarked at $42-million — after a federal grant for $13.5 million in funding for green projects fell through. 

Phase 1, for which council had already earmarked funds, includes the gymnasium and change rooms, multipurpose rooms, tennis and basketball courts and more.

Despite the federal funding rejection, Coun. Fabio Costante put forward a successful motion to move ahead with the second phase of the project as well, which includes additional washrooms and an indoor walking track.

In his motion, a parking lot that was included as part of Phase 2 was swapped out for a music room and fitness room ⁠— projects that were part of the conceptual plan.

The Phase 2 projects are being funded through money council has temporarily redirected from a separate project that includes the reconstruction of part of University Avenue, which is not expected to start for several years.

The components now left out of the plan include accessibility features as well as green initiatives, which council wanted to pay for through the federal grant.

While the pool's closure remains part of that plan, the city had set up a deal with the University of Windsor to use its new facility, the Lancer Centre pool, which is about a kilometre away from the recreation centre located at Wilson Park. However, many community members were against that decision. 

Some councillors voted against going forward, including Rino Bortolin. He says the city has not listened to what the public wanted.

"We are conveniently omitting it every time we're talking about how proud we are of this investment," Bortolin said at council. 

"I mean, we're going to start using 'world class.' We're going to start talking about how this is an amazing investment for the community. The community wanted a pool here. They didn't want a pool at the university, and if we got a pool at the university, we could have used that to subscribe, to over services, to add services to the west end. God forbid we actually add something to that neighbourhood."

Bortolin says the new amenities to be added to the complex are overdue replacements for what was lost when the College Avenue Community Centre was shut down 12 years ago.

Costante, who represents the west end, acknowledged some users of the pool at Adie Knox are upset it's being scrapped, but encourages them to use the new facility at the University of Windsor. 

"I'm asking the community to give this a try. Those who are hesitant about the Lancer Centre pool, give it a try, and I'm confident that many are going to enjoy this new pool," he said. 

"Whenever there is these types of decisions, they're never gonna be perfect, and they're never gonna satisfy everybody's needs, but does this move us forward as a community, as a whole? I believe it does."

During Monday's meeting, council approved the scaled-down version of the project.

"This is, in my opinion, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Coun. Kieran McKenzie, who voted in favour of the plan at yesterday's meeting.

Others were disappointed environmental features are being left out of the new plan after federal funding was denied.

Coun. Fred Francis voted no to the plan, and for him, it was all about timing.

"Talking about deliberating and pushing things into 2023, when many of us might not even be around the table for 2023, and it is going to be a new council. You know, three months before the next election, it should be a decision of the next council," he said. 

Construction is expected to begin next year.