Ottawa Construction News staff writer
The City of Kingston and the YMCA of Eastern Ontario are moving forward with a massive $102-million recreational expansion, signaling a major shift in the city’s infrastructure landscape.
The project, dubbed the “Centre of Community,” will see a significant addition to the existing Invista Centre at 1350 Gardiners Rd. The centerpiece of the build is a new competitive 25-metre, 10-lane aquatics facility, alongside a leisure pool and a comprehensive wellness centre.
According to a City of Kingston staff report presented to council in late 2025, the project’s capital cost is estimated at $102 million in 2024 dollars. Financing is expected to be a multi-stream effort involving municipal debt, grants, the Municipal Accommodation Tax, and a capital contribution from the YMCA through fundraising.
The construction timeline is accelerating following the appointment of CS&P Architects as the prime consultant in March 2025. The firm was selected through a competitive procurement process to lead the conceptual and schematic design phases.
Current plans involve constructing a new fitness wing and repurposing existing fitness spaces within the Invista Centre for a third-party wellness operator.
“Following a detailed and competitive procurement process, CS&P was retained… work is being accelerated in preparation for a potential construction start in 2027,” stated Neil Carbone, Commissioner of Corporate Services, in a recent report to council.
While the West End expansion promises state-of-the-art facilities, it has sparked significant concern among residents near the current YMCA branch on Wright Crescent. The “Centre of Community” model effectively serves as a relocation for the YMCA’s primary operations, leading to the eventual closure of the aging Wright Crescent building.
Local residents have voiced opposition, citing the loss of a walkable community hub and the impact on seniors and lower-income families who rely on the central location.
“The YMCA is thinning out its ranks… this decision brings us one step closer to building a new centrally located facility,” YMCA of Eastern Ontario CEO Rob Adams previously noted during earlier restructuring discussions, though the shift to the Invista site in the West End represents a pivot from earlier “central” location rumors near Princess Street.
The city has attempted to mitigate these concerns by proposing a new parkette at the southeast corner of Wright Crescent. This smaller recreational project will include a play structure and landscaping to maintain some public utility on the lands held by the Kingston & Frontenac Housing Corporation (KFHC).
The YMCA project is the flagship of a broader surge in Kingston’s recreational construction. Other active and upcoming projects include:
- Grenadier Park Court improvements: Renovation of tennis and basketball courts and the addition of five new pickleball courts, with construction slated for 2026.
- Cataraqui West Community Park: A 14-acre development featuring a splash pad and multi-use courts, expected to reach completion in 2027.
- Confederation Basin Promenade: A major shoreline restoration and pathway project currently in the detailed design phase with a 2028 completion target.
For the Ontario construction industry, the Invista expansion represents one of the largest institutional tenders in the region for the coming years. The city has already allocated $3 million from the municipal capital reserve fund for initial design work.
The mayor’s 2026 Budget Direction has instructed staff to prepare for debt issuance to support a 2027 groundbreaking and the release of further Request for Proposals (RFPs) in late 2026.
