An earlier version of this story said the city would be paying $1.5 million towards a new clubhouse. The correct figure is $950,000
The City of Abbotsford looks set to pay $950,000 toward the replacement of the burned-down clubhouse at Ledgeview Golf Course.
Since the previous clubhouse was destroyed by fire in April of 2016, the city had issued several requests for proposals to build a new clubhouse and banquet facility at the site.
Now, the city has finally landed on a design and plan that will see a $5.67 million, 225-seat clubhouse and banquet hall built at the course, council heard last week during budget meetings.
The city will contribute $950,000 of capital spending toward the project. The remainder will come from insurance proceeds stemming from the fire, along with a $1.3 million contribution from Kinder Morgan promised under a community benefits agreement.
Parks director James Arden said the new building “will provide access to an affordable event venue for community functions, support local employment and tourism and improve the long-term viability of the Ledgeveiw Golf and Country Club.”
The project will also provide the infrastructure necessary to allow for the golf course to use electric carts, rather than gas-fuelled machines.
Mayor Henry Braun said the city has a responsibility to replace a city asset like the clubhouse, and that the new building will be “a facility that council will be proud of.”
However, the project as proposed is dependent on money that may could not materialize. The city’s $1.3 million agreement with Kinder Morgan states that the project “will not occur before all regulatory, government and corporate approvals are obtained and/or until Trans Mountain has completed all due diligence it deems necessary.”
That means that no pipeline likely means no Kinder Morgan money. And while the project has gained the approval of the federal and provincial governments, several court cases have been launched to try to prevent the twinning of the pipeline from proceeding. Kinder Morgan is also encountering resistance from the City of Burnaby, which has yet to grant the company required permits.
The city says that the Ledgeview project’s scope, budget and viability would all be re-assessed if the pipeline doesn’t proceed.
