The Town of Sundre has received a tender for a proposed upgrade of the Sundre arena, with administration now scheduled to review the submission before reporting back to council next month.
As one of the most important facilities in town, it is vitally important that the arena's future be settled in the not-too-distant future, said Mayor Clews.
“Our arena is heavily utilized by the community, so we need to ensure that it is maintained properly and upgrades have to be done so we can accommodate Minor Hockey, figure skating, recreation hockey, public skating and other uses during the summer,” said Clews. “It's very important for our community.
“Once we hear back from administration on these tenders for upgrades and maintenance, we will have to make some decision on moving forward.”
The tender proposal will not be made public until it is presented to council, she said.
The existing arena was built in the early 1970s and is in need of upgrades or replacement, she said.
Town councillors have been examining issues surrounding the future of the arena for some time. To date, no motion has been passed calling for the major upgrade or replacement of the existing facility.
The request for proposals for an arena upgrade was issued in October and was scheduled to close on Nov. 30, but was extended to Dec. 13.
“The town of Sundre desires to extend the usable life of the existing arena complex with an aesthetically pleasing renovation of the building,” the town said in its architectural and design services request for proposals.
“An analysis of the building is essential to gain a better understanding as to the required mechanical, electrical and structural renovations that may be fundamental to extend the usable life of the facility for a ten to fifteen year time frame.”
The town had asked for a ‘two-stream' proposal that met a number of specific criteria.
“One stream of the proposal is to provide architectural and design services for a major renovation to the Sundre arena that will allow the town to maintain the existing operation season of October through March.
“The second stream of the proposal is to provide architectural and design services for a major renovation to the arena that will allow the town to offer a year-round operational season.”
The request for proposal sets out a number of ‘core elements' of the work to be completed, including a “project plan that enables the town to maintain seasonal operation of the ice arena during construction; options for phasing the project; options for environmentally sustainable components; identification of opportunities for Green Funding or other environmental related funding grants; identification of opportunities for sponsorship; estimation of the operational costs impacts of the renovation for the next three years.”
The possible renovation design may conclude “an upgrade of all mechanical and electrical systems; a heated concrete slab; redesign of the current lobby space allocations; addition of a new interior wall and roof metal cladding system; upgrades to the landscaping of the property; Alberta building, plumbing and electrical code upgrades to the entire building; and improvements to the mezzanine area.”
“It is the responsibility of the architect, working with town administration to assist in the establishment and approval of both draft and final designs,” the town said. “It is understood that community consultation may result in additional space or amenities being added to the scope of the project.”
Mayor Clews said she is pleased the town has received a number of tender proposals and that the arena situation is being examined.
“Technically that arena is past its lifetime. Other councils have done minor upgrades to it over the years to keep it going, to extend the life,” she said.
Mayor Clews said she hopes council will be able to budget money in the 2012 year to allow for an engineering study to look at the Sundre arena and its future.
In other town news, council continues budget deliberations this week, with councillors meeting with department heads to discuss proposed spending and projects, she said.
The town needs to pass the 2012 budget by March 31. Councillors have already passed an interim budget based on last year's budget.
“We are looking at trying to keep the budget very tight this year,” she said.
