The City of Yorkton is going to take a closer look at replacing the Kinsmen Arena.
“At the September 17, 2018 Council meeting, Council directed Administration to engage aodbt Architecture and Interior Design to review options for replacement of the Kinsmen Arena,” said Darcy McLeod – Director of CDPR with the City at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday. “A full architectural and engineering review of the Kinsmen Arena was later approved to determine the current state of the facility as well as what would be required to transform the building into an all-season use facility.
“Finally, in March, 2019 the scope of work was expanded to include identification of indoor recreation infrastructure compared to intended uses. A user feedback process was also completed to determine possible uses for future indoor recreation infrastructure. A data gathering process to predict future costs and revenue requirements was then completed in order to determine required usage to support future infrastructure.”
Mitch Strocen, from aodbt Architecture and Interior Design attended meeting to present the findings of their work.
The work undertaken included;
*A listing of groups that were engaged in June of 2019 to collect information about Yorkton’s recreation needs and the results from those sessions.
*A location analysis for current and potential future infrastructure.
*A conceptual plan option to replace the Kinsmen Arena at the Gallagher Center, including the pros and cons of this option, and why the pros outweigh the cons.
*A historical background of the benefits of the Nexera Flexi-Hall and discuss an option to use a removable Field Turf product through a portion of the year.
*Options for other uses of the Kinsmen Arena moving forward.
*A high level estimate of costs.
The design phase is typically broken down as follows:
*Schematic design phase which further refines general concepts (15 per cent)
*Design development which includes larger general components like mechanical (10 per cent)
*Detailed design with technical working drawings (50 per cent)
*Tender documents, on site, and project management (25 per cent)
While Strocen said their work took a broader look at recreational facilities across the city, but most of the report Monday focused on the Kinsmen Arena.
The arena was built in 1978, with no major renovations undertaken since, said Strocen.
“The dressing rooms are extremely small,” he noted, adding dressing rooms and washrooms are small, and out-of-date, and the ceiling over the ice surface is low.
With the arena now 41-years old “it’s nearing the life (expectancy) of most ice surfaces,” said Strocen.
The Kinsmen Arena is however needed.
“Ice surfaces do not support program needs,” said Strocen.
Strocen said the best path of replacement is to build a new ice surface on the east side of the Farrell Agencies Arena, tied into the same ice plant and sharing some general features such as dressing rooms.
In doing a second ice surface at the Gallagher Centre other work could be incorporated including an indoor floor option to the flexihall providing a half pitch soccer option.
Strocen said the plans discussed are very preliminary with “a lot more detail has to go into them.”
The rough figure presented to Council Monday was $14.5 million.
In the end Council supported a recommendation to authorize Administration to engage aodbt Architecture and Interior Design, a maximum value of $270,000, to:
*Continue working on a plan to replace the Kinsmen Arena at the Gallagher Centre, including presenting findings of the study to the June user group participants, and
*Conduct a come-and-go public open house to obtain comments on the conceptual plan as presented, and
*Conduct further investigation into the impacts of placing Field Turf for the Nexera Flexihall, and
*Proceed with the completion of a schematic design and partial design development to help refine cost estimates for future Council consideration, and
*Assist Administration with a public procurement process to hire a contractor for preconstruction services only, in order to assist Administration with oversight of the design and maintaining cost certainty.
Mayor Bob Maloney was the one vote against.
“It’s really hard to support this when we haven’t given support to build yet,” he said, adding he could not vote to spend $270,000 ahead of that decision.
“I don’t think we’re there yet.”
Councillor Aaron Kienle said the replacement of the Kinsmen Arena was a priority in his mind from the last municipal election.
“It’s something we should have been working on already in my mind,” he said.
Coun. Ken Chyz said he realizes the rink “is a major thing for our community.”
