The Town of Swan River continues to look at upgrades to the Centennial Arena.
Mayor Lance Jacobson states there has been plenty of debate over the project.
“I know some people are talking about a new build of some kind or the renovation of this building,” said Jacobson. “There has been talk of a renovation as our ice surface has been looked at as being something that maybe at the point of failure, so we’ve had a lot of debate over that.”
Swan River Town Council had held a public hearing on February 9th, in regards to possibly borrowing $2.7-million over a 20-year term at an interest rate of 7 percent. To pay for the loan, council would increase the mill rate to 1.072, with annual payments estimated at $254,861. The anticipated total cost of renovating the arena would be approximately $7.5-million.
Some of the required work includes ice slab replacement and integration, including dasher board system replacement; building perimeter regrading; roofing and cladding replacement; HVAC and lighting upgrades; and structural, refrigeration and architectural repairs/upgrades.
Jacobson adds that the Manitoba government is providing 3.1-million dollars towards the project.
He says Town Council is considering all options and will be making a decision on which direction to go in very soon.