H. G. R. Mews Community Centre replacement

The construction of a new facility to replace the aging H.G.R. Mews Community Centre is approximately 60% complete and the facility is anticipated to open to the public in late spring 2024.

When construction began, the target for opening to the public was fall 2023, but due to issues around the availability and delivery of steel, the target opening date has been adjusted to late spring 2024.

The cost to construct the new facility remains on budget at $33,597,250 and is federally funded by the Canada Community Building Fund previously known as the Federal Gas Tax Fund.

Several significant milestones have been reached to date, including the completion and opening of the $1 million inclusive playground, funded by Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.

Once complete, features of the 60,000 square foot community centre will include:

• 25 metre, 6 lane swimming pool with a climbing wall

• leisure pool with water features

• steam room

• full-size gymnasium

• indoor walking track

• convertible courts for squash, handball, or racquet ball

• dedicated space for the Boys and Girls club and the REAL Program

Construction for the new community centre in Mundy Pond Park, to replace the H.G.R. Mews Community Centre began in September and is well underway. The Jumpstart Inclusive Playground, which was gifted to the City by Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, is also under construction. The universally accessible Jumpstart Inclusive Playground will open in Spring/Summer 2022, and the new community centre will open to the public in Fall 2023.

Rendered images of the new community center, an overview of amenities, and background information regarding the H.G.R Mews Centre replacement project can be found on the page

The Jumpstart Playground was announced in July 2019. The new inclusive playground will further enhance the park as a destination for outdoor recreation by providing imaginative and accessible spaces where children of all abilities can play together.

The costs of playground equipment and rubber surfacing, valued at approximately $1 million, are funded by Jumpstart, with the City providing the land and costs associated with site preparation.

The total cost to replace the Mews Community Centre is $33,597,250 and is federally funded by the Canada Community Building Fund previously known as the Federal Gas Tax Fund. The program funding is administered and distributed by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to fund local infrastructure priorities such as public transit, wastewater, drinking water, roads, and buildings.

Mundy Pond Park is closed until September 2023 to facilitate construction of a new facility to replace the H.G.R. Mews Community Centre.

The Mundy Pond trail system, dog park and skate park remain open during construction. The amenities that remain open can be accessed:

• At the corner of Mundy Pond Road and Blackler Avenue
• Off of Melville Place

Parking is available along Blackler Avenue, and at the gravel parking lot across from the existing H.G.R. Mews Community Centre. Trail access at the gravel parking lot across from the existing Mews Centre remains open.

To ensure the safety of all users of the park please abide by signage in the area. A map of the impacted area is shown below:

From now until September 25, the City of St. John’s invites the public to review the new concept design of the H.G.R Mews Community Centre replacement facility which will be constructed at Mundy Pond Park starting in 2021.

Public and stakeholder input from the first two rounds of public engagement for this project have influenced the overall design (check out the What we Heard documents in the document library). Details of the designs can be seen there as well including an aerial view and floor plans.

Virtual public meetings to review the design will take place using Microsoft Teams:

• Tuesday, September 22 from 10 to 11 a.m.
• Thursday, September 24 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

To register for one of these sessions, check out the key dates and follow the links.

The city is also meeting with key stakeholders and users of the current facility such as sporting and aquatics organizations, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Inclusion Advisory Committee.

Those unable to participate online can contact Access St. John’s at 311 or 754-CITY and ask to speak with someone from the project team, or email feedback to engage@stjohns.ca.

A survey crew will be in Mundy Pond Park starting Tuesday, Oct. 8, surveying the property where the new Mews Centre replacement will be located.

This work will take approximately four weeks and is scheduled to be completed by Tuesday, Nov. 5, weather permitting. As part of the scope of work, surveyors will be required to work in proximity to, and within property lines, that boarder Mundy Pond Park and vicinity.

Public engagement on a proposed replacement location for the H.G.R Mews Community Centre at Mundy Pond Park took place during July 2019. Feedback from residents and community groups was collected at online, during two in-person sessions and through meetings with key stakeholders.

The ‘What We Heard" document summarizes overall themes, likes and dislikes of the proposed location, concerns outlined by local residents, feedback from community groups, and points related to inclusion. The engagement process captured input from 29 people online and approximately 80 visitors during the in-person sessions, with approximately 600 unique visitors to the engage page to learn more about the proposed location.

The first phase of public engagement for this project took place in spring 2018 and looked at programming, amenities and a proposed location at the gravel parking lot that is across the street from the current H.G.R. Mews Centre.

City Council are slated to vote on the location for replacing the Mews Centre on Monday, August 19.

The public are invited to one of two engagement sessions to provide feedback on a new proposed site location for the replacement of the H.G.R. Mews Community Centre at Mundy Pond Park.

The city is proposing an alternate location to the gravel parking lot across from the current Mews Centre because of building needs, and the opportunity to position the facility in an existing recreation hub at Mundy Pond Park.

Please drop-in at your convenience to one of the two scheduled sessions for an opportunity to talk with staff about the potential location for the Centre, and to share your opinions and concerns.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

· 10 a.m. to noon

· 6 to 8 p.m.

H.G.R. Mews Community Centre

40 Mundy Pond Road

Please note that the focus of the drop-in sessions is to obtain feedback about the new proposed site only. Public engagement about programming and amenities took place in 2018, and the ‘What We Heard’ document is available here.

Comments can also be provide on this page here.

The City of St. John’s wants to create a city where people feel connected, have a sense of belonging and are actively engaged in community life. This project is identified in the Our City, Our Future 2019 Action Plan under the goal to and deliver programs, service and public spaces that build safe, healthy and vibrant communities.

A drill rig will be operating at Mundy Pond Park, near Blackler Avenue, Blackmarsh Road and Melville Place, starting on Wednesday, June 5 and continuing for approximately five days. Work will take place weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The purpose of the work is to collect information for installing new lights for the softball field, new playground equipment, and use of the existing soccer field as a potential location for the H.G.R. Mews Centre replacement.

Noise from the drilling process is anticipated; however, weather and atmospheric conditions such as cloud cover may intensify the sound.

Access to Mundy Pond Park will not be impeded by this work. Residents are asked to respect site safety measures put in place by the contractor. Areas where active drilling is occurring will be cordoned off with pylons and appropriate safety signage.

The parking lot across the street from the Mews Centre, which was proposed for the replacement, is not in a floodplain. However, concerns about loss of green space and other issues were raised through the engagement process last year and, while this site is not excluded, the City is exploring other potential locations in the area. Further engagement and communications will be happening soon to discuss this with the neighbourhood.

Beginning Tuesday, September 11, 2018, and continuing for approximately 5 days, a drill rig will be operating on the gravel parking lot located on the corner of Pearce Avenue and Mundy Pond Road. This is to facilitate a geotechnical investigation of the property in relation to the site being a proposed location for a new facility which will replace the existing Mews Community Centre.

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