TMR residents vote in favour of new $48.7M sports complex in referendum

Town of Mount Royal residents votedin favour of a proposed$48.7-million sports and community complexin a referendum, Sunday evening.

Touted as TMR's first municipal building to be constructed in a half century, the plan callsfor three pools, a water slide, a double gymnasium, dance and art studios, an indoor track and even a weight room.

Thirty-nine per cent of eligible voters took part inthe referendum Sunday, with 57.5 per cent voting in favour of the complex and 41.9 per cent voting against it.

In November, 938residents of the upscale Montreal suburb forced a referendum on the planby signing a registry that required 931 signatures.

Opponents of the project raised concerns that the complexwas larger than necessary for thecommunity's population of 21,000.

The plan willalso take over a local green space and result in higher property taxes forhomeowners.

Before polling closed Sunday evening, residents offered their thoughts on the plan.

Dan Munteanu, who voted in favour,said that with a baby on the way, his family will make use of the new facility regularly.

"I think itsimportant for the town to have an updated facility something we can be proud of," he said.

But Nora Taji, who voted against, said she's worried about the cost of the project ballooning.

"The burden is going to be on the citizens and we already pay pretty high taxes."

Mayor Philippe Roy has been pushing for the plan since the beginning, saying that the current recreation centre and pool arein poorcondition and not adapted forpeople with reduced mobility.

The referendum question focused specifically on a bylaw that would see the townborrow $27.8 million for the construction of the complex.

With surpluses allocatedand a provincial subsidy secured, the requested financingcame down to $20.3 million, the town said.

TMR predicts the building'sannual operating cost would be about $1.7 million.