Five tender submissions for the renovation and expansion of Lumby’s Pat Duke Memorial Arena are under review, the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) announced Friday.
“I’m pleased to see that the project received interest from the construction community,” RDNO’s Area D director Rick Fairbairn said. “We are looking forward to awarding the project and seeing the work get underway.”
The project’s procurement period ran from Jan. 31-March 5, 2020. The five proposals under review all came in within the $3-million budget.
Planned upgrades include reinforcement of the arena’s existing arched structure and a full suite of newly constructed change rooms with modest improvements to existing change rooms. A north warming room, viewing area and entryway are also included in the plans.
The facility was first opened in 1967 — more than 50 years ago. Community efforts to fundraise for improvements began in 2016, and as a result, the community was named the winner of Kraft Hockeyville.
Lumby received $100,000 to put towards the aging facility.
More than $2.5 million was awarded on top of that in March 2018 to make more extensive arena improvements. Grants from Telus, the RDNO and community fundraising have also helped to cover the $3-million price tag on the renovation project.
The push for Kraft Hockeyville was prompted by the arena’s insufficient number of change rooms, which left women without a dedicated space during co-ed play.
The arena also poses challenges for people with limited mobility — an issue that will be fixed with the new entryway.
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