by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 13/98) - It may be a case of out with the old and in with the new.

Should Yellowknife build a new twin-pad arena this year, the Gerry Murphy arena may be left to rot and gather dust, or even destroyed.

"If the multi-purpose community centre goes through and we have the Yk arena, the Gerry Murphy Arena will be shut down," says Grant White, acting director of community services with the city of Yellowknife.

As an arena it already needs extensive upgrading because of problems with the mechanical room and the Zamboni room, says White. Both areas have to meet certain standards.

"It's not a fire trap, but it's just that it was built before current standards and any changes to the facility will have to reflect changes to the code as well," he says.

"If it stays as an arena there are certain things we have to do, like install fire-rated doors."

The city is in the preliminary stages of looking at some of the different roles the Gerry Murphy arena could fill other than an arena, so there are no renovations planned now.

Regardless of what happens to it, however, if it stays as a building there are certain things that are required to meet codes, says White.

"It's not coming down immediately, or not coming down regardless. We will look at another alternative. We won't close the door on anything yet."

"If the twin-pad opens up in the fall of 1999, Gerry Murphy wouldn't open," he says. "If there is time enough and the decision is made it will be removed and then from there certain decisions have to be made to what to do with the site."

White could not provide an estimate of the cost of renovating Gerry Murphy or put a replacement value on the 45-year-old complex.

It has been run for 27 years by Alex (Hutch) Hutchings of Yellowknife.