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M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | 79 Town of Wasaga Beach Arena & Library R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y M J M A A RC H I T EC T U R E & D E S I G N TOWN OF WASAGA BEACH ARENA & LIBRARY by ROBIN BRUNET A s far back as 2013, an assess- ment by the Town of Wasaga Beach determined that the original Wasaga Stars Arena, built in 1973, was nearing the end of its lifespan as a full-service facil- ity. Meanwhile, the Wasaga Beach Public Library, which opened in 1994, became too small at 4,500 square feet to accommodate the town's growing population. In 2017, planning began for a com- munity hub that included a twin-pad arena and library, and in 2019 it was identified as a capital priority. Later that year a development site was secured about a mile from the commu- nity's iconic Beach Area 1, and Colliers Project Leaders was retained as the project manager. "We deliver many of these types of facilities in Canada, and for this venture we worked with an architect with equal experience in the realm of municipal build- ings: MJMA Architecture & Design," says project manager Ron Spina. MJMA led stakeholders and user groups through sequential design meetings from early con- cept to design documents, and Town staff worked with MJMA design consultants to develop a welcom- ing facility that complements the community's natural elements. Given the municipality's high profile as a tourism destination and its high growth projections, it was decided early on that the new facility should be a true community destination, as well as an event venue and tourism destination, with pro- gram space and meeting rooms in the library, an indoor walking track, an outdoor reading garden, and basketball courts. Ample park- ing for over 375 vehicles, an electric vehicle charging station, and a stormwater pond were also among the project's long list of features. Spina notes that while func- tion was the defining characteristic of the design, the desire for a facil- ity that could serve as a community hub, event venue, and tourism des- tination led to a final project that is not a typical municipal building. "To take one example, MJMA designed the twin-pad arena as something that could accommodate vari- ous spectator events," says Spina. Another example of flexible spaces was the parking lot, which MJMA designed to serve double duty as an area for outdoor summer festivals and events, thanks to incorporating power outlets on the light poles. In fact, the facility needed to be able to power both indoor and outdoor rock con- certs and music festivals; as a result, MJMA delivered super power with outdoor power at 200A 3Phase 208V. But a major challenge was deliver- ing all of this on a fairly modest budget of $43.48 million. Spina says, "MJMA had a cost consultant who helped us stay within that budget, and one out- come was that while iterations of municipal facilities sometimes evolve radically, our final design didn't differ significantly from the initial concept." Also atypical was the modernist appeal of the building form, which MJMA designed as a series of stag- gered horizontal shapes clad with architectural masonry, cantile- vered over a double height recessed entrance as well as over the floor- to-ceiling glazing of the library. Bold vertical window arches con- tinue the cantilever effect, as does the library entrance. The horizontal forms also define the lobby, augmented by a clerestory running the length of this area. A louvered ceiling caps the double-height space in which a grand staircase looks onto the arena, which is filled with natural light coming from clerestories of translucent glass. Given that staying within budget and on schedule were prime consider- ations, an old chamber of commerce building on the development site was demolished ahead of the construction contract. "There was also a huge pile of dirt on the property that we used for rough grading, which also saved time and money compared to the alterna- tive of trucking it away," Spina says. Michael Salij, project manager at Aquicon Construction, lists some of the challenges facing construction: "Wasaga winters are tough, and we lost 75 working days due to weather. Also, a Local 793 International Union of Operating Engineers job action affected excavation work, pumping of concrete, as well as steel erection." If that wasn't enough, deliver- ies of key items such as some wood products were delayed due to the pan- demic. Still, Aquicon worked with the project team and suppliers to source alternative building products equal in quality to those originally specified. Acknowledging that a nearby paramedic station would be built in coming years, Aquicon and Colliers worked with local officials to con- vey stormwater across their property, and, in a gesture of goodwill, pro- vided the future development site with a wastewater connection. Spina expresses his enthusiasm for the final product: "With its abil- ity to host events as well as sport, and with smaller elements such as touchless fixtures and a higher level of security that reflects wants and needs in our post-COVID era, the Wasaga Beach Arena & Library is a refined example of the new genera- tion of municipal buildings." A LOCATION 544 River Road West, Wasaga Beach, Ontario OWNER /DEVELOPER Town of Wasaga Beach PROJECT MANAGER Colliers Project Leaders ARCHITECT MJMA Architecture & Design GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Aquicon Construction STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Blackwell Structural Engineers MECHANICAL /ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen TOTAL SIZE 117,669 square feet TOTAL COST $43.48 million

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