SHOAL Centre

operational

Opportunity Sidney's seniors' recreation centre was 25-years-old and no longer had the capacity to serve the aging population which had doubled. One-third of the popular retirement community’s residents are seniors and the senior population is projected to increase even further as baby boomers age. If the municipality financed a new seniors’ centre on its own it would have to increase taxes by three per cent. Instead it opted for a private partner who purchased the air space above the land and in exchange provided a new recreation centre at no cost to the town. Innovations Silver Threads, a non-profit organization, is integral to the success of the centre as they run approximately 100 affordable programs at the centre. Recognizing the importance of Silver Threads, SHC Group consulted with it over the course of a year so that the design of the new recreation centre could accommodate their requirements as much as possible. Due to the fixed price contract the private partner saw a fair return despite construction costs escalating for its contractors. Results The new SHOAL Centre, built in Sidney’s retirement community on Vancouver Island, features four components: a public seniors’ recreation centre; 25 privately-owned assisting living units with 24/7 home support; 54 privately-owned independent living units whose residents can use home support services as required; and a commercial kitchen and professional space and a physiotherapy facility. The seniors’ recreation centre is now over 20,000 square feet—four times the size of the previous facility— and features underground parking. The recreation centre features arts and crafts rooms, an auditorium, computer rooms, games rooms, a dining room and chapel. The Town retained ownership of the land, and the ground floor and basement of the facility while SCH would develop the airspace above the first floor for privately held living units. Of the privately held units for rent and sale, 30 are reserved for rent-geared-to-income residents. The Town expects to receive an additional $50,000 per year in additional municipal tax revenues assessed on the private portions of the building. “This public-private partnership is unique in design and purpose. Its concept has brought a new focus and meaning to aging in place. By design, we have brought the community, professionals, services, housing and entertainment together to support our aging population.” - Patrick Lenihan, President, SCH Group

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