KITCHENER — Kitchener's $103-million capital budget includes spending on several big projects, including millions to repair the aging Centre in the Square, replace roofs on city buildings and replace rink floors at the Kinsmen and Kiwanis arenas.

Councillors spent more than eight hours poring over 235 pages of capital budget documents, as they scrutinized proposals to spend $103 million in 2017 on 278 long-term assets such as sewers, roads or recreation facilities. The budget also forecasts some $1.2 billion in capital spending over the next 10 years. It includes a number of new investments:

•$1.5 million to pay for a new computerized dispatch system in 2018 for the fire department.

•$4.1 million in repairs at the city-owned Centre in the Square, including a new roof, new windows, masonry repairs and improved accessibility. Just over $1.6 million is earmarked to be spent in 2017. Maintenance on the 36-year-old building has been put off as the facility struggled to make ends meet, so that parts of the building are well past their expected lifespan and are "approaching critical condition," finance officials said.

•$1 million in 2018 for improvements to the southernmost section of the Iron Horse Trail, from Queen Street to Ottawa Street, including paving, benches, landscaping and better road crossings.

•$1.4 million, spread over 10 years, to make city playgrounds more accessible to the disabled.

•plans to spend $1.5 million on economic development, including several projects in 2017: $130,000 for an office to grow the local music and film industry; $500,000 for incubators for the food, arts and manufacturing sectors; and $300,000 for an expanded Communitech hub. Funds for these projects come out of the city's $9.3 million economic development fund.

The economic development spending aroused a fair bit of comment from councillors, many of whom questioned the economic development department's focus on downtown investments. "It would be really nice to see money spent in the suburbs for a change," commented Coun. Kelly Galloway-Sealock, who represents the booming suburbs in southwest Kitchener.

Finance chair Scott Davey said the capital budget "was pretty status quo," with no unexpected million-dollar shocks.

The report to council also notes that the city has two major projects for which no funding has been set aside.

There's no money in the budget for proposed improvements to Carl Zehr Square, including a new stage and better lighting, estimated to cost $7.1 million, though the budget includes $500,000 in 2017 for basic planning and design.

The budget also has no money earmarked for major maintenance for most city buildings. Kitchener sets aside money for routine maintenance, but doesn't have a fund set aside, or a plan in place, to repair and carry out major repairs on city facilities such as arenas, community centres and fire halls. "There are already indications additional funding will be required," the report warns. Council will wrestle with how to pay for those expected repairs in a special strategy session later in 2017.

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The city's many projects in its capital budget are paid for out of reserves, with grants from other levels of government, development charges and by issuing debt. In 2017, Kitchener will issue about $4.4 million in debt and will spend about nine per cent of the money it collects in property taxes to service its debt: three per cent for paying tax-supported debt, and six per cent to pay down debt related to the $110 million Economic Development Investment Fund, used to pay for projects meant to boost investment and growth downtown, such as the school of pharmacy, the Communitech Hub, and King Street streetscaping.

Council will approve the final 2017 budget on Jan. 23.