The Sundre & District Agricultural Society is looking to build a $3.5- million agricultural youth complex in Sundre.
The society has been looking at the project since 2008 and it involves an indoor riding arena and banquet facility to accommodate youth and agricultural activities in the Sundre area.
The society has only recently decided on a location – nearby in Mountain View County.
“We're in discussion with the county on doing a 99-year lease from the county on a quarter of land, which is located around the existing transfer station,” said Marvin Jackson, spokesperson for the society.
“There's not enough room at the existing rodeo grounds for parking and the building,” he said, adding that he is hoping to complete the lease with the county as soon as possible.
The arena would be a year-round facility with wash bays for livestock. There is currently only smaller, privately owned indoor riding arenas in the Sundre area, states a package that the society submitted to county council last month.
“This would be an indoor arena with a viewing area and washing rooms and stuff just so that we can be 12 months of the year doing equine and agriculture events,” he said. “Once we secure a location then there is three different phases to it.”
Phase 1 would include building an outdoor arena and livestock pens, the utilities, non-service camping sites and stables.
Phase 2 would include the construction of the main indoor arena complex, the second outdoor arena and the parking.
Phase 3 would include a playground, landscaping, stadium lighting and bleachers, service camping and horse trails.
There is a Phase 4 that is optional at this point, which would include the building of a banquet room, he said.
The banquet facility would be built for a capacity of 500 people with a commercial kitchen and it would be divisible into smaller meeting rooms.
The society has approval from Alberta Environment for the project and needs the county's approval in order to apply for provincial grants.
The society plans to pay for the project through grants as well as fundraising. Some fundraising has already been done, but more is needed.
He says there are about 40 user groups already that would be able to use the facility, including Sundre and Bergen 4-H clubs (beef, horse, canine), Sundre & District Pony Club, Sundre & District Light Horse Association and the Sundre Farmers' Market.
Others included would be the Sundre & District Show and Sale Committee, the Sundre Rodeo Queen, Princess and contestants, archery competitions and concerts.
There are about 20 other groups that would be potential users of the facility, he said, including indoor soccer, auction sales, community garage sales, trade shows and bull, cattle and horse sales.
