A city staff report has recommended the northwest corner of York Mills Road and the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) as the preferred site to build a replacement facility for Don Mills Civitan Arena.
Currently, the arena is located at 1030 Don Mills Rd., near the Shops at Don Mills. It will be closed down in 2020 to make way for a new community centre to be constructed by Cadillac Fairview as part of a land swap with the city.
As part of an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) settlement, Cadillac Fairview will be required to put at least $4.5 million toward the construction of a replacement arena that will have two or three ice pads.
The total cost is pegged at $20 million — meaning the city will be required to finance the balance. A public-private partnership has been contemplated as a way of doing this in the city staff report. The city plans to have the arena up and running by the time the current one closes.
Other sites being considered by city staff are Don Mills Road and Highway 401, the Ontario Science Centre and Windfields Park. The Don Mills Road and Highway 401 location was nixed because it lacked direct access from the highway, and the Ontario Science Centre location was found to be too small.
Windfields Park presented other problems, including anticipated opposition from neighbouring homeowners and restrictions placed on the use of the land.
Terry West, president of Don Mills Residents Inc., said his association doesn’t think York Mills Road and the DVP is the appropriate site for the replacement ice pad.
“It’s not in Don Mills,” West said, suggesting that the proposed location was too far removed from the community it’s intended to serve.
He pointed out that the area is already served by Fennside Arena.
North York Community Council voted to defer consideration of the preferred site to its June meeting.
