Carmen Corbasson Community Centre, located on Cawthra Road just south of the QEW, will undergo a redevelopment to improve the quality of recreational services provided to residents.
The addition will feature a new state-of-the-art aquatic centre, as well as an equipment based fitness centre on the second floor. The addition will be connected to the south/east side of the existing building, which will provide the indoor aquatic centre spectacular views of the woodlot.
Overview
The City of Mississauga is renovating and building a new addition to Carmen Corbasson Community Centre to meet the needs of the Ward 1 community by constructing a new aquatic and fitness center as well as improving infrastructure to address population growth and changing demographics in the area. The project will aim to serve the community through improving the quality of recreational services and implementing higher accessibility and green building standards.
Background
The existing community centre (formerly known as Cawthra Arena) was built in 1972. A major gym expansion and facility modernization was completed in 2000, and the centre has been enjoyed by many residents over the years. The facility was renamed in 2012, in honour of former Mississauga Ward 1 Councillor, Carmen Corbasson.
In accordance with the City of Mississauga’s Strategic Plan, this renovation will provide improved infrastructure for Mississauga’s citizens for generations to come and follow the City’s design principles to integrate sound, functional, accessible and attractive buildings, facilities, public and open spaces to build a City for the 21st century. This redevelopment was recommended and approved as part of the City’s 2019 Recreation Master plan, which was informed through extensive community consultation.
Objectives
- Improve the quality of recreational services provided to the residents of Mississauga to achieve the City’s goal of providing access to quality recreational facilities in order to maintain healthy lifestyles
- Address the aging state of municipal infrastructure and implement lifecycle upgrades
- Design with an environmentally responsible approach, improve energy efficiency and meet the City’s Corporate Green Building Standard
- Develop a site that meets Mississauga’s Accessibility Design Standards and improve building circulation through enhanced accessibility, wayfinding and connectivity between program spaces
- Alleviate pressure on existing recreational infrastructure by addressing population growth, changing demographics and cultural diversity
- Create strong linkages between indoor and outdoor activity spaces and introduce daylight throughout the building
- Establish a clear, strong entrance identity and convenient location for pedestrians and motorists accessing the building
- Meet the increasing demand for aquatics in the area
- Improve site safety to meet the City’s Vision Zero objectives – eliminate all traffic fatalities and injuries while increasing mobility and safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Mississauga Seniors’ Centre
The Mississauga Seniors’ Centre is not part of the scope of the redevelopment project at Carmen Corbasson CC, and will remain open throughout the redevelopment. Site access during the redevelopment will change slightly to allow for the construction zone to be secured.
Minor facility updates are being considered over the next couple of years at this location as budget and opportunity allows.
As of Fall 2022 to access the Mississauga Seniors’ Centre by car you’ll need to take the first right on Arbor Court and make a left into the parking lot until you reach the centre. This route will safely direct cars around the construction area. Two pedestrian paths are also available. One is from Cawthra Road beside the parking lot, and the other is from the trail on the north through Cawthra Park. MiWay service will continue at the bus stop on Cawthra Road throughout the redevelopment.
Benefits
Once completed, residents will enjoy the benefits of:
- New equipment-based fitness centre
- Cardio machines, weights, and fitness studio with wood sprung floor
- New aquatics centre
- 25 meter six lane pool
- Warm water therapy pool
- New multi-purpose space on the ground level
- Enhancements to existing multi-purpose spaces to improve social and recreation opportunities for the community
- Renovations to areas of the indoor arena
- Facility design modernization and improved accessibility within the building
- Improved front entrance and access from the parking lot
- Improved exterior connection to adjacent Mississauga Senior’s Centre
- Upgrades to exterior identity and connection to woodlot
- Improved sustainable and accessible design standards
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1Fall 2022
Facility closed to the public
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2Fall 2022
Construction begins
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3Fall 2024
Open to the public
Photo gallery
Public engagement
The redevelopment plan for the Carmen Corbasson Community Centre was informed by several community engagement exercises, including Recreation’s Future Directions Master Plan (2019), Youth Plan and Older Adult Plan consultations. Additionally, a virtual public information session was held on Tuesday June 22, 2021 at 6:30 pm.
- Carmen Corbasson Community Centre – Community Information Session presentation – June 22, 2021
- Summary of comments, questions and key themes from June 22, 2021 Community Info Session
Feedback from residents who joined us at this info session was appreciated, collected, and consolidated.
A survey was available online from June 23 to July 21, 2021, where residents were asked for feedback on the proposed facility design, layout, accessibility, and programming.
Any further questions or comments on this exciting City project can be sent directly to: carmen.redevelop@mississauga.ca
Frequently asked questions
The redevelopment project has been discussed publicly at Council, Budget Committee and at various meetings and consultations at Carmen Corbasson Community Centre for many years (including community consultation on Recreation’s Future Directions Master Plan, Youth Plan and Older Adult Plan).
A virtual public information session was held on June 22, 2021. All Ward 1 residents were invited to register to attend this virtual presentation, via a mailed out postcard 3 weeks prior to the event. It was also promoted on the City’s various social media channels, road signs, digital message boards, and the Ward 1 Councillor’s monthly e-newsletter.
Yes, several design options were considered during the initial 2019 feasibility study work with CS&P Architects, in addition to the more focused schematic design work with Diamond & Schmitt Architects Inc. since 2020.
There are currently 11 indoor pools in Mississauga operated by the City. The primary pool for Ward 1 residents is the Cawthra Secondary School Pool. This pool is approximately 45 years old, does not meet current accessibility standards and would require millions of dollars of upgrades to improve.When the new pool re-opens, the Cawthra Secondary School Pool will be decommissioned.
The City and our residents have been planning for several years to decommission this school pool and renovate the Carmen Corbasson Community Centre to add a much-needed, improved aquatics facility.
With aging demographics, the new warm water therapeutic pool will provide additional benefits, providing opportunities for rehabilitation and physical activity to promote well-being for the aging population.
Removable diving blocks will be added to the new 25 metre lap pool, however there will be no diving board due to site constraints.
Current programs at Carmen Corbasson Community Centre will continue to be available to residents at alternative locations such as the Mississauga Seniors’ Centre, Small Arms Inspection Building, Huron Park Community Centre or other neighbouring community centres.
During construction of this project, we are unable to keep the building open and as such, the amenities will be closed to the public during this time.Many of our services, rentals and programs will continue to be available to the community throughout the City. Specifically for our walking track members, we are currently looking at alternative solutions to keep you active and walking.
A universal changeroom is an accessible, welcome space for everyone. The space is accessible to people with reduced mobility, and allows people of all gender identities, parents, and caregivers to be together in the same space. There will be a variety of change stall sizes (individual, family, universal), and these stalls will be completely private, with nearly floor to ceiling partitions. The City team have visited and discussed this changeroom design with many of our neighbouring municipalities who have gone to this model in recent years. They have stated that this design works very well for participants, are much more operationally efficient from a cleaning and maintenance perspective, and allows for complete flexibility in how they are used based on pool programming.
We are excited to continue to provide a variety of options regarding programming at Carmen Corbasson Community Centre when it re-opens. While the community centre will offer all the traditional programs that you would find at most community facilities, we hope to bring a variety of new and innovative programs to the Ward 1 community. Our main feature in the aquatics centre will be the removable starting blocks, which provides opportunity for various swim training, while enjoying the beautiful views into the natural woodlot. Our ability to cover the windows in the aquatics centre will allow us to provide specialized aquatic programming to groups that may require that level of privacy. The new equipment based fitness centre and studio will offer so many classes to choose from to keep fit, whatever your preference is to keep active and healthy. Throughout the redevelopment, our program team will continue to look at some of the data collected from our surveys, what we’re hearing from participants, and what we’re seeing in the market in order to put together a programming mix that suits the needs of the community. And of course, we’re always open to feedback if you have ideas for any other new programs!
Yes, all of these amenities will remain in the fully redeveloped community centre when it re-opens. We are not removing any indoor spaces, just adding the aquatics and fitness centres.
This redevelopment project will be pursuing Level 1, of the City’s Corporate Green Building Standard.
Level 1 Targets include features such as:
- On site energy generation – design to accommodate future solar photovoltaics
- Building envelope design to enhance thermal performance of the building
- Installation of high efficiency HVAC equipment to reduce energy consumption
- Electric vehicle and bicycle infrastructure
- Bird friendly glazing
- Construction waste management : Aiming for 75% diversion rate of the total construction and demolition materials for minimum of 3 material streams
- To reduce stormwater peak flow and runoff volume from the site
- Use of Low-impact material with low/no VOC materials
- Exterior lighting to be dark sky compliant
