The Kincardine Klassics Gymnastics Club made a presentation to council, asking for the approval of a proposed lease agreement for the organization.
The KKGC has been a tenant of Connaught Park Pavilion since the 1993-1994 season, thanks to an agreement between the club, the Municipality of Kincardine, and the Kincardine Agricultural Society.
The presentation was from Megan Alers and Jenny Middelkemp, who represented the organization.
Middelkemp shared some of the capital investments that the club has made to the property in their time there.
“Our club has made significant capital investments into the facility. In 2023, we undertook an extensive HVAC upgrade, expanding the system to include both heating and air conditioning. At a cost of approximately $60,000, this was fully funded by the Kincardine Klassics,” she said.
The HVAC upgrade improved the comfort for the club’s athletes, and allowed expanded programming into the summer months by reducing heat-related health risks.
Should the new lease agreement be approved, the club said that they would be looking to upgrade the washrooms at the facility in the first year, as well as remove the stage to ensure the safety of the athletes using the space.
Middelkemp also explained why the club wanted the proposed 10-year agreement to be approved by council, particularly when it comes to the KKGC’s equipment.
“The Kincardine Klassics consistently invests in new gymnastics equipment. We do this not only for athletes’ safety, but to remain compliant with regulatory requirements set by Gymnastics Ontario, and to offer a continually improving training program for our athletes. This brings us to the most significant challenge that we face as an organization,” she said. “Our previous lease agreements require us to fully set down all equipment, and move it into storage each year. This specialized equipment is not designed to be continuously dismantled, moved, stacked into a small space, moved again, and re-assembled.”
She said that the constant disassembly and movement caused extra wear-and-tear on the equipment, leading to additional repairs and replacement.
It also costs the club around $3,000 each year to move and store the equipment, as the club has to hire an independent mover to complete the set up and tear down, and to move the equipment into and out of storage for the summer.
“The proposed new lease agreement would put an end to this complicated, and costly process, protecting our equipment and the overall safety of our athletes,” Middelkemp added.
The new 10-year lease agreement would also ensure a safe space that allowed for childcare, physical activity, and up to seven student jobs each year, when including the proposed additional summer programming.
Council accepted the presentation, but was unable to finalize the proposed agreement, as the Kincardine Agricultural Society had previously presented to council that they wanted to take 60 days to mull over their own new lease agreement for the Connaught Park Pavilion.
According to a staff report from council’s meeting on February 11th, the Ag Society was offered a new two- to three-year lease, “In recognition of KAS’ history at the site, the municipality is attempting to secure a multi-year transitional agreement with the organization.”
With the freeze on the municipality’s ability to move forward with either of the proposed agreements, the KKGC told Bayshore News in an e-mail, “We trust that the Municipality Of Kincardine will be able to move forward with agreements for both the Kincardine Klassics Gymnastics Club and the Kincardine Agricultural Society that support the growth of each organizations as they continue to serve our community.”