First look: Crossings Leisure Complex on track and on budget

WATCH: Work continues on phase one of the Crossings Leisure Complex and Blake Lough got a look inside the project.

LETHBRIDGE- Work continues on Phase 1 of the $41 million Crossings Leisure Complex.

Local city officials and politicians have finally been given a look inside the project.

“This is the largest project most of us in Lethbridge will see in our lifetime,” said city councillor and chairman of the project’s steering committee, Rob Miyashiro.

“Just showing up, walking in from the parking lot, I was really blown away by just the size of it,” said MP for Lethbridge, Jim Hillyer.

“Having looked inside, I certainly think the money is being well spent,” said MLA-elect for Lethbridge-East, Maria Fitzpatrick. “It’s going to be incredible.”

“It’s a place people will congregate; a point of interest,” said Miyashiro. “It’s going to attract events to our city as well.”

Phase 1 of the complex houses space for two NHL-sized ice surfaces on one side, and a ten sheet curling facility on the other. The current structure is already over 125,000 square feet. Karrie Nightingale, project manager of Phase 1, has been keeping the project on track and says one important feature of the facility is how it will reuse heat.

“The waste heat from the ice plant is intended to be used for in slab heating in the arenas as well as the ice melt pit,” said Nightingale. “The remainder of the heat will be piped over to Phase 2 so it can be used for other heating strategies on that side.”

According to Nightingale, construction is on time and on budget. The steel frame is complete, the roof is nearly finished and mechanical and electrical systems are being installed.

“Plan for completion (of Phase 1) at the very early part of 2016,” said Nightingale.

Phase 2 of the project will include, among other things, aquatics facilities, a multi-sport field house and an indoor track. Construction is set to start next spring with a completion date of late 2018 or early 2019.