The City of Salmon Arm, B.C., will be spending millions when it comes to Memorial Arena, whether it’s demolishing or repairing the aging and damaged rink.
This week, the city announced it received a report regarding the rink, which has been closed since November 2023 because of structural concerns.
And that report gives four options, with costs ranging from $1 million to $9.1 million:
- Demolish and convert to green space: $1 million
- Replace with equivalent building: $7.6 million
- Replace with upgraded building: $9.1 million
- Extend useful service life for 30 years: $6.8 million
“The reports and associated conclusions aim to provide stakeholders with comprehensive insights into the long-term economic viability of the facility and inform decision-making processes related to its management and investment,” the city said.
An open house regarding the rink’s future will be held on June 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., at city hall’s council chambers.
The city says those wishing to attend online must send an email to cityhall@salmonarm.ca to receive a meeting link.
The city also noted that it could spend $90,000 on immediate repairs that could allow partial occupancy, limited to March through November, with no occupancy permitted during snow accumulation on the roof or forecasted and measured wind gust speeds exceeding 40 km/h.
It also noted that should those repairs happen, some needed trusses would take up approximately 240 square feet of the rink’s playable turf area.
The city also said the report writer opined that rehabilitating the rink is not a financially feasible solution and demolition to a greenfield site or replacement should be considered.
“This opinion is based on the extensive effort and cost to replace the existing facility,” the city said.
“Furthermore, the extensive remediation will trigger the requirement to install a fire suppression system and upgrade the existing building to current codes in relation to fire and life safety.”
The report is available online.
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