Replacement of sports dome at St. Francis Xavier in Milton will be a long process

The first step on the path to replace the sports dome at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Secondary School was recently taken by Milton council.

But it won’t be a short trip, with completion not anticipated for a year-and-a-half.

Following the advice of Town staff, Milton is looking for a private operator to install, operate and maintain an air supported structure in partnership with the Town of Milton and Halton District Catholic School Board at St. Francis Xavier.

The popular dome, originally a partnership between the Town and Halton Catholic District School Board first opened in 2013. It was destroyed during a wind storm just before Christmas last year.

According to the report, the Milton Indoor Turf Centre (dome) has been successfully operating with various challenges mostly related to weather and annual installation issues or difficulties associated with labour.

The dome is generally at full capacity from a rental perspective and has been a financially positive operation.

“The indoor turf business has evolved over the years with several private operators entering the market,” said the report.

“Based on the Town’s recent success with the winter indoor tennis operator at Milton Community Park, the timing seems ideal to investigate the possibility of entering into a three way partnership agreement with the HCDSB and a third party operator for a seasonal dome at this location.”

A request for proposal has been issued by the Town for the project.