Bowman pledges to build Waverley West rec facility using previously untouched growth fee cash

Brian Bowman wants to tap into a previously untouched fund to pay for a new recreation facility in Waverley West, he promised Monday.

The incumbent mayor made threepledges Monday afternoon to help the city's community centres if he's re-elected,including apromise to withdraw money from a growth fee fundthat city hall has thus far beenreluctant to use.

Standing outside theWaverleyHeights Community Centre, Bowman pledged an additional $4 million to build a new recreation centre in the suburb, augmentingthe$7.2 million the cityalready budgeted for the $30-million facility.

To pay for the extra $4 million, Bowman intends to use thegrowth fee fund, despite the city's reluctance to touch thecash because of a legal challenge mounted by the Manitoba Home Builders' Association and Urban Development Institute.

Ifre-elected, Bowman acknowledged his future colleagues may have different plans for the growth fee revenue. Fees levied on new developments in some areas at the edges of Winnipeg generatedaround $11 million this year.

"What I'mdoingtoday is I'mpositioning myself to be very clear with the residents of how I'd like those funds used," the mayor said.

Mayoral challenger Jenny Motkalukcriticized the proposed use of money subject to a legal challenge.

"How many more creative ways can Brian Bowman find a way to soak Winnipeg taxpayers? And spending money we do not own will compound the problem further," she said in a statement.

In other pledges Monday,Bowman promised toincreasethe amount of cash earmarked for renewing Winnipeg's existing recreation infrastructure from $965,000 annually to $2 million per year. The moneywould come from an existing grant program for community centres over the next five years.

He also said he would allocate $50,000 from his own office discretionary reserve to pay for the criminal record checks required forcommunity centre volunteers.

Bowman said an investment in recreation facilities is necessary since the city's community centres face a $274-million deficit and the need will only grow with a booming population.