Under-utilized

Wellington Dukes gym proposal comes before council

At last Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Wellington Dukes VP of Hockey Operations Randy Uens made a presentation asking council for its support in converting the 1,500 square-foot Rotary Room inside the arena into a fitness facility. The space would be owned and operated by the Dukes, used by the team’s players, but also open for public use.
Uens told council he believes the room in its current state is under-utilized. The projected cost of converting the room would be $60,000, and would be covered entirely by the Dukes organization. Uens hopes that the facility will create additional revenue for the club and provide a resource for the community, as well as providing the hockey club a more permanent workout space. “In the past, the Dukes have been using thirdparty facilities for fitness needs that are not geared towards the needs of performance athletes and the equipment is not up to the standard needed,” said Uens.

Wellington Dukes VP of Operations, Randy Uens.

The Wellington Dukes would pay $7,200 plus HST per year for use of the room. They would also pay the municipality 10 per cent of the net proceeds at the end of the fiscal year. The minimum payment at the end of a complete fiscal year would be no less than $2,800, which means the County will garner, at minimum, the same revenue that has traditionally been earned by that space. Membership costs would be offered in the $30-$45 per month range, which according to Uens is considered on the low end of the market, making the facility competitive. The County would continue to provide water, heat and hydro. Arena staff would be responsible for maintaining and repairing electricity and plumbing within the facility.

Uens explained that having a dedicated fitness area is part of keeping the Dukes an attractive place for top players to come to in a rapidly-changing junior hockey world. “This creates an opportunity for the Dukes to be more sustainable and it also continues to make them a better hockey team,” said Uens. “Everybody likes a winner, and if we don’t have people coming to watch a good brand of hockey, we’re probably not going to have a hockey team. We’re not looking for a handout from anybody. We’re looking for opportunities to create revenue for ourselves.”

Councillor Bill Roberts asked Uens if the new facility would be in competition with Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre. Uens believes that the Dukes’ facility wouldn’t be going directly against PEFAC or other fitness centres across the Quinte region, because they are drawn more towards families and children and that they would be bringing in outside trainers and fitness instructors to assist clients and players in a one-on-one type setting. “There’s a lot of fitness opportunities in the Picton area. In Wellington there really isn’t. A lot of those western island folks are heading into Belleville to use other places that fit their alignment,” said Uens.

Uens is hoping to have approvals in place by June 15, in order to purchase and arrange delivery and set up of the equipment in time for the beginning of the training season in mid-August.

Council has asked staff to provide a feasibility report to be brought back to a future meeting of council.