Grand Bend Community Centre: Proposed Facility | Municipality of Lambton Shores

The Municipality of Lambton Shores is excited to share a conceptual facility design for the proposed Grand Bend Community Centre. The proposed facility incorporates the recommendations from the Feasibility Study, which determined a justification for a Grand Bend Community Centre and identified key features that the facility should include.

The recommendations in the Feasibility Study were based on the robust public consultation that included:

Community Open Houses: approximately 220 attendees across two open houses
Online Public Survey: 893 responses
Community Group Workshops: 18 organizations attended
Municipal Council and stakeholder interviews: 12 interviews conducted

This page is dedicated to providing more information about the proposed facility design. There was an online survey available to formally provide feedback. The survey closed on January 31, 2025.

Conceptual Facility Design

The proposed facility is a two-story building with the main level consisting of:

A public library operated by the County of Lambton
Seating and viewing areas
Washrooms and change rooms
A kitchen and bar
A large multipurpose space that can accommodate large community events (capacity of 400 people seated) or sports activities (space for 4 indoor pickleball courts).

The incorporation of the library allows for an intergenerational space that can be accessed by different age groups, while the small, private rooms can provide space for use by other agencies.

Main floor

Upper level

The upper level includes:

An elevated walking track surrounding the multipurpose space on the main floor
Space for a limited amount of stationary fitness equipment (e.g., incumbent bikes, ellipticals, etc.)
A large multipurpose room that can be divided into three separate rooms capable of hosting many functions, like fitness programs, classes, meetings, and private events (e.g., showers, parties, etc.)

The exterior of the facility includes:

An outdoor kitchen space that can be used for community events, markets, etc.
Dedicated area for picnic tables and other seating areas for passive use or outdoor programming
Sufficient parking to accommodate the uses of the proposed facility

Exterior

Proposed Facility Location

Proposed Location

The proposed facility is located at 18 Municipal Drive, Grand Bend (Lion's Park). The property was strategically selected for several reasons:

The property is owned by the Municipality
The property is sufficiently sized to accommodate the proposed facility and required parking spaces
The property is centrally located in Grand Bend with walkability
The property presents no significant challenges from a planning or zoning perspective

The property currently houses a baseball diamond, pavilion, and an outdoor shuffleboard court that will need to be decommissioned to accommodate the facility and required parking. Demolition of the existing Grand Bend Art Centre will also be required to accommodate parking for the facility. This is expected to occur as a last step, which will provide time for consultation with the Art Centre on possible relocation.

It is important to note that there are some limitations on how the property can be developed. There is a floodplain that runs through the property, and approval for development within the floodplain is unlikely (and not recommended). The floodplain primarily surrounds the existing skate park area. The proposed facility has been designed in such a way that it falls outside of the floodplain area and preliminary meetings with ABCA staff have not identified any notable concerns.

Estimated Budget

Working with Skinner & Skinner Architects Ltd., a preliminary budget for the proposed Grand Bend Community Centre has been provided. Two options have been considered, with one option being a Net Zero facility and the other option without Net Zero Energy options:

With Net Zero Energy Options: approximately $19,954,400
Without Net Zero Energy Options: $17,484,400

Staff estimate an additional allowance of approximately $1,300,000 for items not included.

These costs are estimates only, as any construction work will need to be publicly tendered.

Potential Provincial Funding

Preliminary planning and design for this project started so the Municipality could take advantage of a new provincial funding opportunity aimed at supporting new recreational facilities.

The Municipality has applied for the maximum funding amount of $10 million through Ontario's Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund to support this project.

Next Steps: Public Consultation

The online survey closed on January 31, 2025. Results of the survey will be shared with Council.

Relevant Links and Resources

Previous Public Consultation and Phases

This project began in April 2023 when Council launched a committee of council to assist in developing a feasibility study for a new community centre in Grand Bend.

Grand Bend Community Centre Committee of Council and the Feasibility Study Process

What was the Grand Bend Community Centre Committee of Council?

The Committee of Council for the Grand Bend Community Centre was launched by Council after a local group of community members presented a proposal to Council emphasizing the local interests and needs for a community centre in Grand Bend. The committee worked closely with a professional consulting firm to complete a feasibility study, and provided support with a comprehensive public consultation process. The committee also supported the completion of a needs assessment to determine the type of infrastructure required to meet community needs, and operational considerations including possible partnerships.

Who was on the committee?

The committee consisted of three members of Council and three members of the public, with the Mayor acting as ex-officio. Staff were assigned to the committee as required for administrative and technical support but have no voting privileges.

Previous Updates from the Committee

Open House - Draft Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study - Wednesday, August 14, 2024

An Open House took place Wednesday, August 14, 2024. The Open House was a chance to learn more about the Draft Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study and ask questions to staff.

Open House - Draft Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Grand Bend Place (25 Main St W, Grand Bend)

Relevant links:

View the Draft Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study
Submit your feedback using the online Feedback Form - survey closed August 21, 2024

Draft Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study - Feedback Form - open until Wednesday, August 21, 2024

A Draft Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study was made available for the public to review.

The public was invited to submit their feedback using the online form until August 21, 2024

Relevant links:

View the Draft Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study
Submit your feedback using the online Feedback Form - survey closed August 21, 2024

Public Feedback Survey - Closed January 31, 2024

As part of the feasibility study, Monteith Brown Planning Consultants (MBPC) collected public feedback on behalf of the Municipality. The responses helped identify the types of spaces that may be required in light of population growth in Grand Bend and surrounding areas.

The deadline to submit a feedback form was January 31, 2024.

Public Open House: December 14, 2023 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm

The Municipality hosted an Open House to collect public input as part of the Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study. At the Open House, there were display boards with additional information, prompts, and project timelines.

Learn more about the Open House

June 21, 2023: Consultant selected for the Feasibility Study

On June 21, the committee received a staff report with an update on the Request for Proposal for the Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study.

The request for proposal closed on May 12, 2023. Upon closing, no submissions were received. However, one consultant, Monteith Brown Planning Consultants (MBPC) indicated that they did not provide a submission to the RFP due to the timing for the project completion but could complete the study if the committee is able to provide flexibility on the timing.

At the committee meeting, the committee awarded the project to MBPC with an anticipated start date in the fall of 2023, with project completion expected mid-2024.

The next step will include a meeting between the committee and the consultant prior to finalizing the study workplan to obtain feedback on the preferred method of public consultation.

April 14, 2023: Media Release

Following the committee's first meeting, Lambton Shores shared a media release to share an update about the committee.

Read the media release

April 13, 2023: RFP for the Grand Bend Community Centre Feasibility Study

The Municipality of Lambton Shores releases an RFP for the GB Community Centre Feasibility Study.

View the RFP

February 9, 2023: Committee ratifies the hiring of a consultancy firm

At the first committee's first meeting, Councillor Dave Maguire was selected as Chair. The committee also ratified the hiring of a professional consulting firm to complete the feasibility study. Once a firm is selected, the committee will begin to work with them on a comprehensive public consultation program.

September 27, 2022: Council appoints members to the committee

Appointments were made to the Grand Bend Community Centre Committee of Council.