Penticton’s aging arenas are among 108 projects receiving funding through the Union of B.C. Municipalities Gas Tax Fund, receiving $6 million out of a total $193 million doled out this year.
City staff applied for the grant last year after the arena task force recommended the city look at a new twin-surface, multi-use facility at the South Okanagan Events Centre, as well as a renewal of Memorial Arena for dry-floor use.
Related: Task force recommends new arena
“Improvements to local infrastructure are so important. They make our communities even better places to live,” Municipal Affairs Minister Selena Robinson said in a news release. “We are pleased to partner with local governments and the federal government to improve the daily lives of British Columbians.”
The task force was set up in 2017 after an omnibus report came to council over aging infrastructure in Penticton, from sewage to roads to the city’s fleet to the arenas, and highlighted a total of about $176 million in required work on infrastructure.
Related: $175 million infrastructure deficit not a crisis says Penticton CAO
The Memorial and McLaren arenas, 66 and 45 years old respectively, still get use, but staff suggested an extensive amount of work was required, and the city was left to consider whether to repair the buildings — initially at a lower cost, but expected to cost more in the long run — or create new arenas altogether.
That funding will be guaranteed provided the city secure all funding sources for the arena projects by March 31, 2019, and Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said in a news release that the funding will help the city make a final decision on the arena projects.
“There are still many unanswered questions with respect to costs and parking that the city will work to address with the community,” Jakubeit said.
“We are very pleased with the generous support from UBCM and the federal government. This grant is a great vote of confidence in the vision that we hope will ignite further support from the community.”
City staff are currently working on a business case to study the plan set out by the arena task force in July, including the cost of the proposed twin-sheet arena, as well as parking and traffic impacts of the proposal.
That study is expected to be completed by summer.
