CALGARY — Calgary faces a $5.7-billion shortfall over the next decade as it struggles to maintain and repair aging facilities and support new growth, a city committee heard Wednesday.

The bulk of the deficit, nearly $3.2 billion, is attributed to capital growth, while the remaining $2.5 billion is tied to operating and maintenance, according to the 2017 infrastructure status report.

Just over two per cent of city-owned buildings are listed as being in poor or critical condition and require hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs.

Those rated critical have “deteriorated to such an extent that it is generally inoperable or unsafe,” according to the report.

“The infrastructure deficit is often for things that aren't appreciated until they fail,” said Coun. Druh Farrell. “So having an understanding of the impacts of our decisions is really important.”

Farrell pointed to historic City Hall which is undergoing a $34-million rehabilitation after the aging sandstone building was found to be crumbling in 2014.

But Calgary’s recreation facilities, as a whole, fared the worst, with 44 per cent of those facilities deemed to be in poor or critical condition, according to the report.

Earlier this year, city engineers and the fire department deemed the Fairview Arena in southeast Calgary structurally unsafe one day before the building’s roof collapsed. No one was injured in the incident.

“We can’t continue to push our infrastructure on to the next generation or next council,” she said. “The answer is to make a commitment that that’s a priority and maybe put off building some new things until we can take care of what we have.”

Read more about: