Report says what should be included in Kitchener’s new Rockway Centre

The City of Kitchener is getting one step closer to a brand new Rockway Centre, with a staff report laying out exactly what such a new facility should include.

The report laid out 15 criteria, adding that a new centre should be within 1.5 kilometres of the existing Rockway Centre at 1405 King St. E., near the Highway 7/8 ramps.

All those needs would be included in a request for proposal, the third phase in the plan on what to do about the aging centre for adults and seniors.

The top priority was the size of a new facility, namely that it should be at least 21,000, and up to 26,000 square feet, which would be 3,250 to 8,250 square feet larger than the original Rockway.

The new facility needs significant outdoor space, at least 150 surface parking spots, and it must be close to the LRT or bus routes.

And it should have a drop-off, pick-up area, something the current site does not have.

As for facilities, the new centre should have a double-sport gym — something else the current site is lacking.

Neither does the current site “meet accessibility requirements,” but the new site should include accessible and universal washrooms, hallways, and corridors.

The report said the new Rockway also needs dedicated spaces for programming and actitivies, a dedicated billiards/games room, a warming kitchen, and a large lobby with a cafe.

It also said Rockway was “originally constructed in 1950 as a transit terminal, the building is now 75 years old,” and “there have been no significant renovations or upgrades to the facility since 2013.”

The report is set to be discussed at Monday’s Community and Infrastructure Services Committee meeting that starts at 3:00 p.m.