A site in downtown Vernon where skates, sticks and pucks were once plentiful will soon feature shoes, strollers and soccer balls.
On Tuesday, the City of Vernon announced that a park planning process will start next month regarding the former Civic Arena site.
The arena first opened in 1938 but was demolished late last year.
As for the park, the city said it will soon begin consideration of various needs for the site, including community engagement and stakeholder interviews.
“The opportunity to develop a new park in the downtown core of our community is very exciting,” Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming said.
“It’s rare that we get to add greenspace into a fully developed part of the city.”
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According to the city, planning work is expected to kick off in September and wrap up in the spring of 2020. Construction is anticipated in late 2020 or early 2021, following the completion of the road extension.
The city says the site is approximately 1.2 hectares (three acres) and currently accommodates the Visitor Information Centre, parking facilities and a sani-dump.
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However, the city said the actual developable area will be approximately 0.8 of a hectare (two acres).
The reduction is due to a planned extension of 30th Street to connect 37th and 39th Avenues, which will occur on the site’s east side. The extension, which includes the multi-use path, will occupy around one-third of the site space.
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