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Arena plans on the fast track [UPDATED]
Published 10:41am Tuesday, October 5, 2010 Updated 10:41am Tuesday, October 5, 2010The community ice arena’s new design is rapidly moving along, according to City Engineer Dan Edwards – so rapidly, in fact, that the city should be able to start the bidding process for the building in mid-November.
Last week, Edwards explained, the ice arena design committee met to look over the new plan, known as the connected option. This option will split the two arena’s ice rinks up, keeping the main rink on the south side of the Roosevelt Education Cneter and the moving the practice rink to the north side. According to the city’s architectural firm on the project, ATS&R, the new plan will save money over the original plan by cutting out some luxuries, moving the arena off bad soil and utilizing more of the existing school building.
The design committee agreed that the practice rink should be shifted to the south and east to partially connect to a room in the education center formerly used for high school bands and choirs. Part of the reason this move was suggested, said Edwards, is to save money by integrating the arena more into the education center.
Edwards said that a site survey still needs to be done. “That work is scheduled to start … tomorrow,” he told the council.
The council and city staff have been moving along with the arena plans very quickly so as to finish the arena as close as possible to its original opening date of October 2011. Some of the steps they’ve been taking, said Edwards, include conducting much of their communication electronically and combining the schematic design and design development stages, as different parts of the arena plans are much more developed than others at this point in time.
Barring any hiccups in the process, said Edwards, city staff is expecting to come to the council on Nov. 15 and ask them to approve a bid document and bid advertising for the project. Under that schedule, the council will open the bids on Dec. 14, and the council could consider rewarding those bids at their Dec. 20 meeting.
“It is a very tight schedule,” Edwards admitted.
Scott Rachels, who was in attendance at the meeting, urged the council to make sure that the arena was still a good environment for hockey players. He noted that added stairs and different rink lengths from the original project might make the arena less than optimal for players.
“If you’re going to spend this kind of money, it has to be hockey friendly,” he said.
Finance Director Bill Sonmor told the council that the city would look at adjusting its tax levy to its final numbers for 2011 in November, after residents have approved or rejected a sales tax proposal to pay for the arena.
Tags: arena, ice arena
The whole arena project is a big farce. Big money spent for a small few.
A small few?! The arena is being built to benefit the whole community. If you choose not to enjoy what it has to offer that is your choice.