Residents of the CottageClub near Ghost Lake will soon have access to a $6-million multi-purpose recreation centre, estimated to finish sometime in August.
Don Stengler, community founder and project manager, said the facility would serve an expected 350 lots of residents when the community is complete.
“It’s a focal point for the community. People like to get together and socialize.”
Stengler said that despite the economic slowdown of late, the commercial construction industry is still busy. He mentioned that it’s been difficult trying to fulfill the skilled labour needs of projects such as landscaping and spraying the exterior, which has shifted the timetable for completion to later than expected.
The 10,000 sq. ft. facility will feature a variety of leisure, athletic and social amenities, such as indoor swimming, exercise room, meeting rooms, library and barbecue stations. The Discovery Hall and deck will hold a combined capacity of 250 people. The private centre will be owned collectively by the residents and maintained through condo fees.
As part of its environmental core value, the facility’s structure is made entirely of steel and concrete, which was locally sourced and has a lifespan of 100 years, Stengler said.
Landscaping consists of native plants, such as “sheep grass” or fescue and requires little in the way of heavy watering. In fact, seeds were selected from the site before construction began, according to Stengler.
Construction of the community began five years ago after the land was purchased from TransAlta. In total, 135 out of 228 lots have been purchased so far. The development drew flooding concerns from Rocky View County councillor Liz Breakey, mentioned in a March 2014 article in the Rocky View Weekly.
Breakey brought up the possibility of flooding from the Bow and Elbow River, along with concerns about year-round volume of water use and the setback from the Bow in the fifth phase of the project.
In response, Phil Nottveit, from project developer Urban Systems, said the Phase 5 properties would be 46 metres above river – high enough away from the cabins, if a high water level event occurred.
For more information, visit cottageclub.ca.
