The City of Edmonton has begun construction on a new $311-million recreation centre in the Lewis Farms community.

PCL Construction is serving as the general contractor of the project designed by Stantec Group, according to the Alberta government’s major projects website. The development had received political blowback as critics sought to curb the total municipal expenditure and devote dollars to issues such as homelessness and affordable housing instead.

But Edmonton’s city council voted 8-5 in December 2022 to proceed with the project on previously vacant land. The project would have died if the city had reduced the budget to a requested $185 million, Councillor Andrew Knack told CBC.

The original budget was reduced by $60 million to the $311 million total, CBC reported. City administrators decided to build a 25-metre swimming pool instead of a 53-metre pool and deep-diving area.

The five-year construction project is slated to be complete in 2028.