We are currently constructing a brand new multi-purpose indoor recreation complex at RBJ Schlegel Park. Learn more about this exciting project below.
On this page:
- About the Kitchener indoor recreation complex
- Project updates
- Community benefits
- Sustainability
- Budget and finances
- Media Gallery
About the Kitchener indoor recreation complex
Get ready to experience Kitchener’s most exciting addition to sports and recreation! As part of our commitment to providing exceptional leisure facilities, the Kitchener indoor recreation complex at RBJ Schlegel Park is set to become the city's premier destination for sports, fitness, and community activities.
Driven by the Leisure Facilities Master Plan and community priorities, this state-of-the-art facility was designed to meet the growing demand for diverse recreation options. Approved by Kitchener City Council in 2019, the complex combines a world-class indoor pool and turf fieldhouse with a variety of amenities that cater to all ages, abilities, and interests. Construction is currently underway, and we’re excited to open our doors in the summer of 2026!
Amenities
The Kitchener indoor recreation complex is designed to inspire active living and community connections. Here’s what you can look forward to:
-
A community and tournament-sized indoor turf fieldhouse: Divisible into four individual fields, perfect for soccer, cricket, and much more.
-
Indoor aquatic center: Featuring a warm water leisure pool and an 8-lane competition pool, with spacious viewing galleries.
-
Elevated walking track: Offering a full view of the indoor turf facility, ideal for fitness enthusiasts.
-
Cricket batting cage: A dedicated indoor space for practice and training.
-
Multipurpose rooms: Flexible spaces for community events, celebrations, and rentals.
-
Future-ready quad gymnasium: Plans include space for a future gymnasium addition to expand programming options and support sports such as basketball, volleyball, badminton and pickleball.
With its innovative design and inclusive amenities, the Kitchener indoor recreation complex will set the standard for modern recreation facilities, bringing people together for sports, fitness, and community-building.
Project updates
February 2025
- More than 55,000 hours worked on-site
- Concrete foundations complete and backfilled
- Steel complete in the aquatics center, lobby, and multipurpose areas, with metal decking installed
- Fieldhouse steel columns and cross-bracing 25% erected – some reaching six stories high!
- Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) exterior wall installation begins in March
- North parking lot on track to reopen this spring
- Beyond construction, we’re actively preparing for operations to ensure a smooth and successful opening next year
- Progress video - Instagram
November 2024
We’ve started putting up the steel beams for the aquatic center. This will take a few months to finish, after which, we’ll move on to the steel for the fieldhouse, and the first wooden panels (CLT) will arrive on site!
August 2024
We are fully mobilized and hard at work on site. Over the next few months you will see the conditions in the park start to transform as we work on the following key milestones:
-
Removal of topsoil – clearing away the big pile of topsoil on the site, making room for construction and preparing the ground for the next stages
-
Underground services – installing the pipes that carry waste and rainwater away from the building. These are like the building’s underground plumbing system.
-
Excavation for Foundations – digging the area for and pouring the building’s foundations to prepare us for our next big milestone in November; the erection of structural steel
-
Geothermal drilling - the team is drilling deep holes to set up a geothermal system, which uses the Earth's natural temperature to heat and cool the building.
May 2024
On May 31, 2024, we hosted a groundbreaking event to launch the start of construction of the new Kitchener indoor recreation complex at RBJ Schlegel Park. Construction of the facility started in June 2024, and is expected to open in the summer of 2026.
Check out the photo gallery of the groundbreaking event below.
Community benefits
Our proposal for the Kitchener indoor recreation complex is to create a facility that will serve as Kitchener’s premier recreation destination while also being an inclusive and welcoming space for all community members.
By design, the complex will:
- meet current and future recreation needs of the community: will provide much-needed pool and indoor turf programming space, with plans to expand the facility with an additional gym in the future
- support the recreation needs of equity-deserving residents: will offer a greater diversity of recreation options to residents that are affordable and tailored to specific populations
- support recreation as a family experience: will prioritize the experience of parents and family members in the design of spectator and viewing areas
- support the sustainability goals for a greener city: we will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of this facility by design and through operation
Sustainability
The Kitchener indoor recreation complex will be one of the most environmentally sustainable recreation facilities in Canada. The project is pursuing certification under the Canada Green Building Council Zero Carbon Building Standard v3 – Design (ZCB – Design), which is the highest level of certification for zero carbon building standards in Canada.
The plans for the complex include a geothermal heating and cooling system, as well as our largest array of solar panels. These features will reduce 43 tonnes of carbon annually and save us close to $190,000 in utility costs every year.
Visit our corporate sustainability page to learn about our commitment to climate action.
Budget and finances
The total budget for this project is $144 million. Construction of the new recreation facility will be funded through a previously announced grant from the federal and provincial governments, as well as development charge revenues, meaning the construction of this facility will have no impact on municipal taxes.
The Government of Canada is investing $9.7 million in the project, and the Government of Ontario is investing over $8 million through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The allocation of these grants has been vital both for the project to date, and for its ongoing success.
Read the staff report and consultants' report for more information.
Photo and video renderings
See inside the proposed facility with these digital renderings and progress photos.
Photo gallery
The photo gallery below includes renderings and progress photos of the facility: