DIDSBURY — Council has approved $250,000 in additional funding for the ongoing arena renovation project.
The new funding was approved by way of motion during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
The total project cost is now $1,450,000, with work expected to continue into the fall.
The need for the additional funding became known during recent construction at the site, council heard.
During the removal of fill under the main and leisure ice floors, several buried concrete slabs were discovered.
The slabs run about two-thirds of the length of the building and are believed to have been either the former pad or floor of the previous building at the location prior to the arena being constructed in 1976.
The anticipated cost to remove the slabs, replace fill, geotechnical testing and a contingency for additional excavation and repair costs is $145,000.
Also during the ongoing work, it was found that underground cross ties that are part of the structural support of the building have rusted and deteriorated past the point of repair.
The anticipated cost of that repair is $75,000.
As well, two other items were missed on the original contact for the arena dasher board system, totallying $30,000.
The additional funding will come from the GTF grant and the recreational facilities reserve, with each contributing 50 per cent.
Councillors toured the arena project site last week.
Mayor Rhonda Hunter asked that anyone with photographs of the original outdoor arena at the site to forward them to the town.
“We’d sure like to see those,” said Hunter.
