Pending a review by the Cariboo Regional District’s (CRD) building inspection department, the 100 Mile Agriplex Society may get its building permit application approved to make structural repairs that will allow the public back in the old Stan Halcro Arena.
At their July 8 board meeting, directors decided the Agriplex society could proceed with the building permit application process and that a business plan confirming the society has adequate funding for the renovations as required in the pre-lease conditions be submitted as soon as possible.
On July 20, CRD chair Al Richmond reported the society’s engineer and architect had provided the drawings and plans and society spokesperson Peter Reid had dropped them off at the regional district that morning.
Noting the Agriplex is a public-assembly building, Richmond said architects and engineers have to sign off on the building to ensure it meets the requirements, as it’s beyond the mandate of the regional district’s building inspectors.
He added the CRD’s building inspectors would look at the stamped drawings and determine whether everything is OK or more information is needed before a building permit is issued.
Noting it has been a long process (since May 2010) to get to this point, Richmond said it’s tough because public-assembly buildings require engineers and architects, and it’s not like building a house.
“We agreed to give them a pre-lease if they could provide information and do whatever upgrades that were required to make it safe for public assembly.”
There have been some delays due to miscommunication in getting the engineer into the Agriplex for an inspection, he added, so there has been some frustration but no one is to blame.
As for the financial plan, Richmond says it will depend on what building inspectors add on, if anything, before any real costs can be nailed down.
“There’s a cost to do the work, but there is also a cost to have [architect and engineer] sign off on the project. I think the [society] is very optimistic about the cost, but it will depend on any changes that may be required.”
On July 22, Reid, who has been with the society from the beginning, said the financial plans have been submitted and the architectural drawings have been dropped off for the building inspection department.
Now, he added, they are just waiting for the CRD to fill out a Schedule E document to authorize the society to move forward with the permit because the regional district is the building owner.
After that’s done, he explained the application will go to the CRD office for processing, and if there are any changes or more information needed, it will be dealt with by the society’s engineer.
Reid said the information provided by the architect and the engineer didn’t provide any surprises nor did it change the society’s financial estimates.
Structurally, he added, the three beams that need to be repaired will cost about $800 apiece.
However, Reid noted they’re not sure of the status of the requirement for a sprinkler system and handicapped washrooms.
As for a timeline, he said there is a four-week waiting period for any building permit, and now they are also dealing with summer holidays.
“It’s a snail’s pace but we’re moving ahead.”
By using volunteer labour, he added the society is anticipating finishing the project for about $30,000.
Noting they already have donations coming in, Reid said he thinks a lot more will come in once the building permit is issued.
He added the society has also been given a lot of support by the local politicians and their staffs, and he pointed out Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett is committed to the project because she helped build the old Stan Halcro Arena.
Fundraising is going to be the society’s main focus in the coming months because the sooner they can get into the building the sooner all of the old user groups can utilize the facility.
The fundraising theme is “Saving the Stan Halcro Arena,” he said, adding a barbecue fundraiser is slated for Aug. 20 at The Hills horse campground, with tickets costing $25.
They are also planning a raffle in the near future.
