Some repairs are likely past due at the Nick Smith Centre ice pads, and the pressing need requires a rethink as to when, according to Town Recreation Staff.
Arnprior was already looking at design discussions, with an amount set aside in the current budget- but both Patrick Foley, the Town’s Engineering Officer, Facilities & Assets, and Recreation Director Graeme Ivory were of one mind at Town Council Monday (October 23rd) in backing the Cadillac option for the renos going forward.
Patrick Foley.
Option Four ($6.3mil) would provide quality accessibility access, as well as additional storage and meeting room capacity. It would facilitate a change to a modern ice refrigerant, but drastically curtail seating capacity by limiting it to just one side of each rink.
Foley indicates Arena B shares structural problems similar to the leaning tower of Pisa.
The Town’s Engineering Officer, Facilities & Assets, says the unstable arena surface also requires a budget line design alteration.
Elected representatives approved the additional expenditures, to be charged against the Town’s Capital Expenditure Reserve Fund.
Recreation Directory Ivory indicates he’s heard from counterpart Glenn Arthur that a creek had once flowed underneath where Arena B was built.
Ivory is hopeful plans will be carried forward without alteration to the Town’s 2024 budget, and anticipates the work could be commenced at the end of March in 2025, and completed in September of that same year.
Any alterations in scope could drastically increase the cost estimates to complete the job.
By Rick Stow
