Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Gymnastics club seeks expansion deal (KELOWNA)

By Daily Courier Staff Tuesday, October 17, 2006 http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/article_3340.php
A gymnastics club was praised as a “model partner” by city officials who agreed Monday to bankroll the group’s $800,000 plan to expand its Rutland facility.Council voted unanimously to borrow the money to finance the addition of 2,740 square feet to the Okanagan Gymnastic Centre in Rutland.The non-profit club – which has seen its membership grow from 500 to 1,750 in the past five years – will pay the loan back with interest over a 20-year period.“This is a fantastic example of a well-run operation,” Coun. Brian Given said of the club. “They’ve become what I would consider as a model partner for the city.”The club has a waiting list of 150 members, and needs the additional space to deliver a broader range of gymnastics programs, city council heard Monday.Since the project involves the city borrowing money, voter consent is required. The city will use the so-called alternative approval process, in which the project will automatically go ahead unless 10 per cent of the city’s electors sign petitions opposing the planned borrowing.The existing 12,000-square foot centre cost $1 million to build, with the city and society splitting the cost. The society is currently paying about $55,000 a year in rent.

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