Burlington plan for expensive refurbishment of Bateman High School gets OK from council

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Published December 15, 2022 at 11:02 am

parking at Bateman school residents concerns about greenspace
An aerial view of the Robert Bateman High School site the City of Burlington has acquired.

Burlington city council gave its official thumbs up to Phase 1 of the plan to turn the former Robert Bateman High School into a major community hub.

Eventually, the pool and expanded library will be protected in perpetuity. The community will also get access to three gyms and an additional 36,173 sq.-ft. of community rental space.

The City has also promised consultation with the community in 2023 about what they’d like to see in the space. A staff report said there is significant opportunity for additional partnerships, sponsorship naming and more.

“When Phases 1 and 2 of the redevelopment project are completed, this site will be the City of Burlington’s largest community centre, well bigger than our Tansley Woods community centre that sits at 60,000 sq.-ft.,” said Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.

“The work on this upgraded facility is just the beginning of the community centres that our growing community needs. We will need community amenities and parks at each of our Major Transit Station Areas around our three GO stations, where the bulk of new growth assigned to us by the province will go.

“We already know our community centres and parks can’t meet current demands, so we are planning for the future – not just the next term of council but the next generation. There is a lot more to come and it’s an exciting time for our city. I’m looking forward to engaging with our community in these conversations.”

Phase 1 has a price tag of about $72M with a variety of funding sources to pay for it.

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