Bowing to public pressure, Victoria city council will explore the option of building a replacement for the aging Crystal Pool beside a downtown hockey rink.

A three-part plan, carried at a Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday, starts by asking staff to prepare an application for funding to build the new pool and wellness centre on the southwest corner of Central Park, along Quadra Street and next to the current recreational centre.

Mayor Lisa Helps said an application for federal and provincial funding is due Jan. 23, 2019.

“So they’ll proceed with that," she said. "In the meantime, staff and I have been directed to reach out to RG properties and see if they have any interest in a potential partnership or use of land for the swimming pool there.”

RG Properties is the leaseholder and operator of the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre parking lot, where there’s also interest in building the new site.

In a report to council, city staff listed contractual obligations and the impact to area visitors and other parking lot users during construction as potential risks. But they say benefits could include a connection to the arena and access to multiple modes of transportation.

“It’s a complex matter and I’m just trying to process [the motion] right now to be quite honest,” said attendee Sean Kahil, a board member with the North Park Neighbourhood Association.

The non-profit society wrote a joint letter to council with the Victoria Downtown Residents Association to say it “unequivocally” prefers the arena parking lot and curling club option. 

The two associations say it would put the facility along a major artery, which includes bus routes and a nearby cycling network, and avoids the interruption of pool-use and disruptions to park users while construction is underway.

“The arena site would also allow for more and much-needed community services and facilities, including housing, childcare, underground parking, and seniors and welcome centres,” said the letter.

Ryan Taylor, who lives in the neighbourhood, is frustrated the option is only being explored now.

“From the get-go, they should’ve been looking at other properties such as the arena parking lot,” he said. “I’m very concerned that the only option clearly being carried right now is to eliminate the only high quality park land in the area.”

The staff report to council acknowledges that choosing the southwest corner of Central Park for the replacement project would affect the site’s existing park during construction. It says the replacement of park amenities could take roughly three years.

“My concern, which was addressed by a number of councillors is that if we do proceed with exploring [the arena option] any length, we lose the opportunity for federal funding potentially for ten years or more and that could jeopardize the project altogether,” said Crystal Pool user Karmen McNamara, who added she's still happy with the end-motion’s outcome overall.

“These are the decisions that no one wants to have to make,” said Helps. “But we were elected to make these difficult decisions in the interest of the whole community for the long-term and that’s what we’re going to do over the next few months.”

The replacement project is valued at $69.4 million, but that’s only if the project starts construction by March 2019, Helps explained. She added the city will not meet that deadline,  “simply because the funding decisions will not be made by the province and the federal government now well into the fall of 2019."

“For every month of delay there’s about a $400,000 cost escalation,” she said.

Meanwhile, the third part of the plan proposes pursuing the Royal Athletic Park parking lot for housing, childcare, a community centre, and other amenities – while putting parking underground. 

The three-part plan created in the Committee of the Whole meeting has been approved in three different motions set for council.