Airdrie's future recreation centre
We’re building a new recreation centre to support Airdrie’s growing community and community input is a key part of the process. Throughout the project we’re engaging with residents and community organizations to share their perspectives as we move towards opening day.
Site master plan engagement
In late-2024 and early-2025, the City invited residents and community partners to help shape the site master plan for the SW Recreation Centre. Through an online survey, an in-person open house and conversations with local sport organizations, people shared what matters most for how the future centre should work for them. This feedback, together with insights from earlier studies and engagement, informed the facility layout, amenity mix and supporting features.
Sport organizations were identified by participation numbers within existing facilities and organization representatives were invited via email to individual conversations. Of 20 organizations contacted for engagement, 17 participated or provided feedback.
Airdrie residents were invited to participate in an online survey held from Feb. 24 – March, 2025, which received 1,416 responses. Residents could also attend an open house on March 5, 2025, at Genesis Place where 197 participants shared their input.
The engagement identified several key themes between both sport user groups interviews and resident (public) survey and open house responses.
- Space for swimming lessons and competitive swimming: both prioritized space for skill development over family play features
- More ice for community use: both indicated a preference for a triple arena in comparison to a twin arena with a spectator bowl for semi-professional sports and entertainment opportunities.
- Parking: both commonly referenced a need for parking to be carefully considered.
Sport user groups expressed dissatisfaction with a phased construction strategy, voicing an need for Phase II and Phase III to be built faster to meet their existing, rather than future space needs.
Resident (public) engagement results showed multi-use courts as family play spaces, free weight and cardio equipment areas in the fitness area, availability of locks and access to private showers and change stalls, as high importance features for consideration in Phase I.
While resident (public) engagement results indicated a slight preference for triple arenas, it also showed residents frequently cited semi-professional sports and entertainment opportunities as somewhat or very important even when considering a decrease in ice availability for community use. Both sport user groups and resident (public) feedback identified multi-use or dryland spaces in the arena as important to their use of the arena spaces in the facility. Phase III sport user group engagement indicated importance to the space accommodating multiple sports with considerations in ceiling height and lighting requested. Resident (public) engagement focused on supporting spaces within the field house and gymnasium and showed importance placed on dressing room size. Resident (public) engagement results on facility wide supportive spaces showed a greater number of respondents placed importance on spectator seating spaces, food vendors and casual seating spaces
Studies supporting decision making for the SW Recreation Centre
In 2021, the City engaged GEC Architecture and HarGroup Management Consultants Inc. to complete the Indoor and Outdoor Recreation Needs Assessment study, an early step in planning a new multi-purpose recreation facility. As part of the study, residents and stakeholders shared how they currently use recreation spaces in the community. Their input helped identify amenity interests and community expectations that continue to guide planning for the SW Recreation Centre.
Learn more about the Recreation Needs Assessment Study findings.
Council reviewed the Phased Approach to Development of Facility Components and Amenities Report (PDF) as part of selecting a thematic focus to guide development of the SW Recreation Centre. The report outlined two possible directions for the Phase I aquatics area:
(1) Broadest community-voiced needs – based on priorities identified in the Indoor and Outdoor Recreation Needs Assessment
(2) Sport-focused use – prioritizing higher-level training and competition
Under a broadest community voiced needs direction, the aquatics area would emphasize flexible spaces that support all ages, skills and user types and accommodate a wide range of programming. This approach also aligns with the Canadian Sport for Life Society’s Long-Term Development model, which supports physical activity across the lifespan.
A sport-focused use approach would prioritize space for advanced training and competitive swimming, attract regional events and increase visitation. This direction would require changes to Airdrie’s existing space allocation policies to allow sport organizations priority access, with spontaneous use and general programming becoming secondary.
The report also recommended a phased construction strategy, beginning with amenities identified as highest need through both the feasibility report and the Indoor and Outdoor Recreation Needs Assessment Study (2022).
On June 5, 2023, Council endorsed the broadest community voiced needs thematic focus for the SW Recreation Centre and approved a phased construction strategy that prioritizes high-need amenities.
Read the Phased Approach to Development of Facility Components and Amenities Report (PDF).
Reviewed by Council on Feb. 5, 2024, the Arena Analysis within SW Recreation Multi-Use Facility Report t (PDF), analyzed the feasibility of spectator/event capacity within one of the ice surfaces and the estimated long-range returns on a larger upfront capital investment in the arenas phase of the SW Recreation Centre. The findings of the report were used as part of the site master planning engagement in April 2025, as well as the final site master plan - as ultimately the direction selected for the arena phase would significantly impact the overall site layout, availability for community use and options/budget remaining for the SW Recreation Centre’s third phase, containing a fieldhouse and gymnasium. The report found:
- In comparison to similarly sized cities, Airdrie’s ice supply today is sufficient in meeting current demand based on several urban service standard measures.
- However, by 2035, the City would require an additional two ice sheets to maintain the existing standard considering Airdrie’s anticipated growth scenario. And if Airdrie were to grow at a faster rate than anticipated, an additional three ice sheets would be required by 2035 to maintain existing service standards.
- Conversations with ice sport organizations indicated that the number of hours they are currently allocated is beginning to limit their membership size and ability to grow. And local groups are securing ice time within the wider region to support their programs.
- A limited ability to host local, regional or even provincial tournaments was also identified as a top issue across many sport organizations.
- Ice sport organizations unanimously identified a need for the City to expand the inventory of ice available for community use to accommodate a rapidly growing population.
Read the Arena Analysis within SW Recreation Multi-Use Facility Report (PDF).
