Geothermal well work begins at Kingston East Community Centre site

Those in the west end may have noticed some activity happening at the site of the Kingston East Community Centre starting on Wednesday, Mar. 4, 2020.

According to the City of Kingston, drilling of geothermal wells began today for the Community Centre’s heating and cooling system.

“This work is an important step in building this near Net-Zero carbon footprint recreation and leisure facility,” the City said in a press release.

“The planned greenhouse gas reduction measures will reduce emissions from 73 tonnes to 10 tonnes per year – representing an 86 per cent reduction compared to constructing the facility to meet the Ontario Building Code.”

Noise disruption is expected to be minimal during this construction activity and mitigation measures have been put in place at the construction site, the City said, and motor vehicle and pedestrian disruptions are not anticipated.

“Once completed, the facility will provide LED lighting, rooftop solar photovoltaic technology, full-sized gymnasium, fitness centre, community kitchen, multi-purpose rooms, meeting rooms, splash pad, outdoor rink and act as an emergency reception centre,” the press release reads. “The $13.5 million, 22,000 sq.ft. community centre is expected to be complete by the end of 2021.”

Project updates and information from the City can be found here.

For more information on the project, please read our article on the ground breaking ceremony here.