Here’s what’s happening with huge new community centre in Burlington

With Burlington expecting to be home to 240,050 people by 2041 (and 265,160 people by 2051), the city says it’s preparing for the gradual influx by growing and enhancing its recreational landscape.

One of those projects is the complete reconstruction of Skyway Park at 129 Kenwood Ave. Since the old Skyway Arena (which was 48 years old and in need of significant upgrades) was demolished in 2022 to make way for a new Skyway Community Centre, work has been done to revamp the entire complex.

On Nov. 21, the city said that construction is “progressing well” and that the facility is expected to be completed in the fall/winter of 2024.  

As of late last month, several steps in the construction process have been completed, including erecting structural steel and the ongoing installation of metal deck, installing major services (hydro, gas, water, etc.), erecting the baseball diamond field posts for the fence and net, preparing the floor for the pouring of the concrete rink slab and drilling geothermal wells at the back of the property. 

On its website, the city says the demolition of the Skyway Arena and the construction of the new Skyway Community Centre and park are among the biggest projects in Burlington’s modern history. 

A timelapse of the construction process is available here.

Once complete, the community centre will feature an NHL-sized 200’ by 85’ ice pad, multi-use space for various programs, six change rooms with showers and washrooms, warm and cold spectator seating with accessible options, a lobby with a customer service area and offices and universal washrooms. 

The city also says the facility will include a low-carbon design. 

The park is also being upgraded and, once complete, will feature a natural playground, a baseball diamond, gathering areas with seating and a shade structure and accessible pathways. 

A city report also says the complex will feature a three-lane walking track, which is being constructed in response to surveys indicating that walking is “typically identified as the most popular recreation pursuit given that it is a self-structured activity that residents can engage in at one’s leisure.” 

The report also said that indoor walking tracks make sense in the city, as Canada has inclement weather for a substantial part of the year. 

“The new Skyway Community Centre will be a state-of-the-art community facility and designed to be consistent with achieving our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions,” said Allan Magi, executive director, Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services, in a previous statement.

“The park and building will be a key feature and highlight for the City, residents and visitors.”