Spirit of the Dragon martial arts studio has been in its current location in the 1200 block of Lorne Street for more than a decade, and in the city’s industrial area for nearly 25 years. However, proposed changes to the city’s zoning bylaws have owners concerned about their future in the spot.
“We were quite confused and a little bit nervous, knowing that this could potentially shut down our business after 25 years,” said Kim Delesoy, owner of Spirit of the Dragon.
The proposed changes mean new gyms would not be allowed in the city's light and heavy industrial areas, including parts of the warehouse district. Existing facilities - like Spirit of the Dragon -- would be grandfathered in, but wouldn't be able to expand their businesses.
“We were planning to build an addition to our building, which is how we found out about it. The worst part, for us, is the building was to provide programming for the lower income groups that we provide free programming for,” said Delesoy.
So now, the owners are racing to get their expansion done as soon as possible.
Prairie Gael School of Irish Dance also operates in the industrial area. One of the studio’s owners, Emily Armer, said they want to keep fees low, so they need a space that doesn’t break the bank.
“The cost per square foot in an industrial area is a little bit lower than it is in commercial areas,” Armer said. “For things like dance studios, it's nice to have the big open spaces and the high ceilings, which are really hard to come by in other areas of the city.”
Armer also pointed to a dance fitness studio in Moose Jaw, which received numerous noise complaints from nearby residents earlier this year.
“It can be quite noisy, especially with the loud music. I don't think that's always necessarily conducive in a residential area,” she said.
Regina mayor Michael Fougere said he has heard a lot of concerned feedback regarding the proposed changes, which he will pass along to council.
“The official community plan does talk about it being a prohibited activity over the 25 year perspective for the city,” said Fougere. “So, in keeping with what's in the official community plan, the administration brought that forward. That doesn't mean it's the final say.”
Changes to the zoning bylaw will be discussed in a special city council meeting on June 17. People with concerns have until June 11 to send in written submissions for consideration.
