Some city community centres will undergo a makeover by the end of 2025 as part of an initiative to revamp facilities at various Toronto locations.
Mayor Olivia Chow unveiled the project at Port Union Community Recreation Centre on Tuesday, where she announced upgrades to 30 community centres across Toronto.
“We’re going to fix up our community centres—paint, repairs, ceilings, walls, and structural issues—to get them back on track,” she wrote on X shortly after.
As part of the project, public Wi-Fi-and phone charging stations will be installed at all 126 community recreation centres by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, substantial updates at select locations will include repairing and repainting walls, ceilings and other structural features, as well as replacing lobby furniture, the city confirmed in a press release on Tuesday.
General Manager of Parks, Forest and Rec at the City of Toronto Howie Dayton told Now Toronto that prior budgetary restraints had curbed the possibility for repairs.
“Most of our community centre stock is over 60 years old, including our arenas and pool facilities but our state of good repair budgets just haven’t allowed us, over time, to upgrade them or refresh them,” Dayton explained.
The renovations are part of the city’s Back on Track program, which aims to revitalize Toronto’s vital city services, with an estimated $10-$20 million of the project’s $50 million budget being allocated to community centre upgrades, according to Dayton.
We’re refreshing 30 community recreation centres & adding FREE Wi-Fi at all 126 #CityOfTO centres across Toronto.
— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) August 6, 2024
We’re back on track to revitalize these spaces that will give people a greater sense of belonging & experience in public places.
More: https://t.co/LntEHo1SHh pic.twitter.com/tpXlrw487c
The city did not specify which 30 sites would receive the upgrades but said geographic distribution and consideration for equity-deserving neighbourhoods were important factors, though Dayton did warn of the potential for minor disturbances to some services.
“We’re going to minimize disruption to the best of our ability, we expect there might be some program impacts. We’ll certainly communicate with the public if and where those occur, and make every effort to keep it as short as possible,” he said.
Refurbishments will help to maintain inviting and safe spaces for people to gather and connect, improve overall experience for users, ensure the longevity of community recreation centres, and keep city-run facilities in a state of good repair, according to the city.
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie said the project was “a wonderful opportunity to reignite the spirit within our communities,” and that the city needs to keep “advocating for access to critical community resources so people can thrive and build themselves while connecting in safe and inclusive spaces.”
