Castlegar and area residents won’t vote in November on adding a second sheet of ice and a walking track to the recreation complex.
City councillor and recreation commission chair Brian Bogle told council this week that the referendum will likely go ahead in February instead.
“None of us around the table, including the [regional district] staff, were super happy about it,” he said. “I know people are going to be disappointed. But if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
Although the referendum date has never officially been fixed, it has been moved around provisionally several times. It was originally thought the vote might be held in the spring of this year, but then it was pushed back to October to coincide with local government elections. Staff eventually indicated that the timeline wasn’t attainable, and suggested mid-February or early March instead. After recreation commissioners expressed unhappiness, the date was tentatively moved up to November, but it has now been pushed back again.
Bogle stressed the hold-up was not the fault of regional district staff, but due to third party delays, including a legal review. “It’s roadblock after roadblock after roadblock as things come up,” he said. “This is a new process for the regional district.”
Under the design-build procurement system, three proponents have been invited to submit concepts for the new facility with a ceiling of $15 million. The regional district recently approved a $2.5 million increase in the overall budget, to be paid for through taxes, which will cover a building permit, moving a watermain and fire hydrant, plus a 10 per cent contingency fund.
Council also recently approved its share of another $285,000 to cover work leading up to the referendum, including geotechnical work, public engagement, and an additional honorarium for one of the proponents.
Councillor Darcy Bell said he appreciated the delay in the referendum is beyond the regional district’s control, but he still found it hard to accept.
“I really hope that [RDCK staff] are working diligently to get some firm dates in place because I think if they are just going to keep delaying this, people are going to get very, very frustrated,” he said. “I would hope that this is the final one.”
The referendum still hinges on the RDCK receiving at least one acceptable proposal.
Mayor Maria McFaddin said if none of the proponents are able to meet the $15 million budget, the rec commission will have to decide whether they are willing to increase that amount. But to date, they have “been very firm that this is what the public said that they were willing to spend. We’re not going above that.”
The true cost of the project is estimated at $19 million to $29 million. The RDCK is hoping to defray some of that amount by awarding naming rights to whomever wins the contract. They were not successful in applying for a grant of $7 million from a federal infrastructure fund.
The referendum, whenever it is held, will involve residents of the City of Castlegar and neighbouring rural Area J, but not Area I. RDCK staff say even if the vote passes, construction isn’t likely to begin until six months to a year afterward.
The second sheet of ice would replace the Pioneer Arena, which was demolished last year.
