News: Kingston Westbrook dome construction delayed

Some bad news for those in the Kingston area hoping to play indoor soccer this season, as Anita Harnden from the Westbrook Golf Club sent out an email this week informing members of the local soccer community that their plans for the construction of a new dome had been delayed again.

The short and long of the situation is that despite the plans and proposals being submitted to the City of Kingston, approval for construction has not yet been given, and with the delays mounting, the feasibility of the financial stability of the dome is diminishing daily. The plan is now to build the dome in the summer of 2012 with an eye to having a full indoor season beginning that fall.

Read the full email after the jump.


The email stated (in full):

Our plans have all been submitted to the city, we have not received approval for a footing permit to start early construction. Without a firm timeline we don't feel that it makes business sense to rush this project for a partial season, which will not fill the available time, will cost more due to increased winter construction costs, and may not allow us to meet financial obligations through the summer.

The groundwork will commence as soon as we are able to do so with the City's approval. The planning dept. is working hard and has been co-operative and supportive through this process. We continue to work on the project and anticipate that the dome will be erected in late summer of 2012 to allow for a full season next year. We apologize that this season is not going to work, we have pushed and tried to make it work for you, the players, but it is an uphill battle that will require more time than any of us would like. Rest assured that this sports dome is proceeding at the most aggressive pace possible, and will be a fabulous facility upon completion in 2012.

We did not seek a financial contribution from the City, but had requested development charges be deferred or a tax break afforded to us. The City has made it clear to us that they will not be considering any requests from us or investing any public money into indoor field sports. It has historically been provided privately, and they feel it should continue that way. This does not change our project from our standpoint, but it does not allow us to provide you with more competitive rates, which we would have liked to offer.

We will be selling advertising and naming rights for the dome, fields and courts to offset player costs. The sponsorship packages will be ready after review from KEDCO. If you wish more information, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I hope to be able to find out what other options there are in the area (if any), and will report on them as soon as possible.