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In the works for nearly a decade, a Woodstock recreational centre for older adults is finally breaking ground on a $9-million expansion to accommodate its burgeoning membership.
About 100 people attended a ceremony Wednesday at the South Gate Centre in the city’s west end to mark the milestone.
“It has been a nine-year journey with some speed bumps along the way, but we are finally here today to celebrate the groundbreaking,” said David Hilderley, chair of the finance team. “An expansion of this magnitude requires the generous support of the whole community.”
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Hilderley, a key member who spearheaded the expansion project at the centre for adults aged 50 and older, said he was “absolutely elated” by its launch.
In his speech, Hilderley thanked the city of Woodstock that provided $7.8 million for the project, as well as major contributors such as Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada and Dr. Leonard Reeves.
And it won’t just be South Gate’s members who will benefit once the expansion is complete.
“This additional 12,700-square-foot space on the edge of beautiful Southside Park will benefit not only our members, but the residents of the city of Woodstock,” South Gate said in a news release.
Among those excited for the launch of the project’s groundwork is Woodstock Mayor Jerry Acchione, who noted the centre’s expansion had been in the works from the time he was a councillor.
“In my 10 years on the council, this has been discussed for that entire time,” he said. “Today, with the groundbreaking, I couldn’t be more excited.”
The centre’s expansion is much needed to keep pace with the centre’s growing membership.
In 2020, South Gate had more than 800 members and offered a choice of 68 programs. At that time, the centre had already outgrown the space needed for serving those using the facility. Nearly one-third of Oxford County’s population is older than 54 and, by extension, South Gate’s membership is expected to exceed 1,600 by next year, according to the centre’s website.
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Work on the addition is set to begin next week. Although part of the building will be inaccessible during the expansion work, South Gate will still use the facility whenever possible. There are also plans in place to employ other facilities to run South Gate’s programs while construction is underway, Hilderley said.
South Gate Centre has raised $1.3 million towards this project and is continuing to fundraise an additional $400,000, the centre said.
The anticipated date of the expansion’s completion is July 2025 “if it’s not a horrible winter,” Hilderley said.
bwilliams@postmedia.com
@BrianWatLFPress
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada
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