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Vernon is gearing up to begin the lengthy design and consultation process of implementing a new ice sheet at a local arena, following Saturday’s sweeping 4,265 yes and 3,331 no referendum results.
The City is also expecting that the $13 million project at Kal Tire Place will save tax payers a little bit of money.
“The budget for operating the Civic Arena right now is $190,000, give or take. With shared facilities up at Kal Tire Place, we will be able to reduce a number of those overall operational costs. They’ll (citizens) will get improved facilities at a lower cost,” said Tanya Laing Gahr, Communications Officer for the City of Vernon.
The entire project is expected to take around 33-36 months, as the City of Vernon is anticipating an opening date sometime in the fall of 2018.
“We will be reaching out to the public in various ways to get their feedback, their input, on what they would like to see incorporated into the final design of the project,” added Laing Gahr.
The project consists of replacing one of the ice sheets at Kal Tire Place, and once the rink is designed, constructed, and ready to go, the City will begin the process of decommissioning the currently used Civic Arena.
Laing Gahr also said that the new sheet will add value to Vernon’s sports community.
“We’ll have two state-of-the-art arenas that are side-by-side and that will be able to serve the community throughout the year,” added Laing Gahr. “Right now we can’t use the Civic year round because it has a cracked floor, which means it can’t be used during the summer months.”
The Vernon Farmers’ Market, which operates in the arena parking lot, has decided to stay put despite the pending ice sheet construction.
“It might mean they need to shrink some of their activities during the construction period, but they will be able to operate during the entire construction period of the facility.”
The referendum asked Vernon residents on November 28th to decide whether or not they would like the City of Vernon to borrow $13 million for arena upgrades.
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