THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
The Town of Fort Smith has decided to launch a $6-million-plus renovation of the community arena.

Fort Smith Mayor Brad Brake, left, and Coun. Don Webb outlined proposals to renovate Centennial Arena at the Fort Smith Trade Show on May 3. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Council unanimously passed a motion on May 12 to modify an existing contract for repairs to Centennial Arena as the result of a fire in May of last year.

Mayor Brad Brake explained the change to the contract with CAB Construction will mean additional work totalling $6,277,436.71 over the next two years, mostly during the summers but also in the winter.

"I think it will be phenomenal when it's done, really," he said of what the arena will look like when the renovations are completed.

The arena will remain open during the winter while the work is proceeding, and will still require the temporary change rooms and washrooms in trailers installed this past winter outside the building.

The town hopes to take a $4-million debenture to help pay for the renovations, but that will have to be approved by plebiscite.

The renovations will begin immediately, and will include additional dressing rooms, a heated viewing area and mezzanine, an elevator to an upper level, new player benches, changes to the ice plant, additional storage, changes to the Zamboni room, insulation, siding, a metal roof, removable boards, acoustic panels, improvements to the public address system, a ticket booth, a video security system, LED lighting, and other improvements.

"This is everything that the user groups have requested, and more," said Brake, who noted there were extensive consultations with the public.

In February, town council approved a contract of $1.7 million for repairs to the fire damage and upgrades – $1.1 million in insurance money and the rest from the town.

Jessica Cox, chair of the Fort Smith Recreation Advisory Board, said it's very positive and exciting that council has approved the additional renovations and accommodated the requests of user groups.

As a frequent user of the arena, Cox said she is "thrilled" with council's decision.

"The timeframe that they're anticipating is also very encouraging," she said.

Craig Walsh, an organizer of old-timers hockey, is also pleased with the decision.

"We can't believe how good of a response we got from the town," he said. "Every suggestion that all user groups put in was taken into consideration, and the town and the architects found a way to fit everything in. So we're elated."

In fact, he was so excited by the changes that he framed copies of the architectural drawings the town distributed at the Fort Smith Trade Show on May 3, and they are now posted in his garage.

Walsh said the highlight of the renovations for him is that the arena will be so user-friendly.

"It's going to take a building that is starting to look aged and it's going to bring it into the 21st century," he said. "It's going to look so new and so modern."

Coun. Don Webb, who was instrumental in the town's response to last year's fire at the arena, said the new renovations are an "absolute wonderful opportunity" to turn what was in effect a disaster into a really good end product.

The councillor noted there was "phenomenal" public support for the renovations at the recent trade show.

"Everybody was just buying in," he said, noting the whole community was impacted by the fire at the arena. "That had a profound effect on everybody and they wanted something done."

It was Webb who came up with the idea to use just the ice surface of the arena by having temporary change rooms and washrooms in trailers outside the building. That allowed the arena to be used this past winter.

Brake said the town will have to prepare a bylaw to proceed with the debenture plebiscite, which should happen in three to six months.

The mayor said the town has the financial wherewithal from reserves and other sources to complete the renovations without a debenture.

"We just want to do the debenture so that it doesn't deplete our reserves completely," he explained, noting reserves are important to have for unforeseen circumstances.

Brake said the town's current debenture for its swimming pool will be paid up in 2015 and would be replaced by a debenture for the arena upgrades.

"There will be no need to increase taxes," he stressed.

Brake is confident town residents will approve the debenture.

The renovations for the arena, which is 46 years old, are expected to keep the facility operating for about an additional 40 years or more.

Constructing a new arena would have cost about $20 million, which would have been beyond the Town of Fort Smith's borrowing limit.