Community centre readies for opening
EDITOR’S NOTE: In recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary, The Herald is reprinting historic stories from the South Okanagan focusing on the biggest news story of each year.
JUNE 18, 1981 – You could use up a lot of superlatives describing Penticton’s new community centre, which is now receiving its finishing touches.
For starters, it’s a most awe-inspiring project. Penticton’s largest community undertaking will undoubtedly surprise residents as to its size and what it contains.
Outside appearances are deceiving. Without directional signs or an escort it would be easy to get lost.
The dominant feature — the swimming pool area — is not only impressive, it’s truly massive.
Representatives of the Herald were taken on a tour of the building Wednesday by Leisure Services Manager Buck Pacholzuk and Facilities Co-ordinator Tom Madsen to dispel rumours that some sort of major trouble has occurred to delay the official opening.
LITTLE JOBS
In fact, said Pachoizuk, “there’s just a million little jobs to clean up, and it takes time to do them.”
The city wants all the work done before it declares the centre open — and that day may come within a matter of weeks.
Pachoizuk is pleased with what the $5.3 million building offers, of the quality of the work that went into it, and that Penticton did it when it did.
“If we had waited any longer we would never have done it,” he declared, because the way costs have escalated such a building right now would cost about $9.5 million.
Residents will remember the painful period city council went through in modifying the building when original tenders came in far over budget. But somehow they managed to shave $1.5 million off the price and reduce the building’s total area from 100,000 square feet to 66,000 without affecting the purpose and scope of the project.
STORAGE SPACE
The major deletions were in storage space, and in the elimination of a 200-seat balcony from the theatre portion and a restaurant on the second floor. But Pachoizuk says all original demands for facilities promised residents at the time of the referendum have been retained. And, he adds, it has been found in the construction of the centre that the city has been able to regain some valuable storage area under the loading ramp.
The building even has employed a classier finish than has been planned in such areas as the gymnasium and the acoustic room.
Pachoizuk says he insisted on the use of hardwood floor, not only because it obviously lends a vastly superior appearance, but because it stands up better than other material. Incidentally, in the building of those maple wood floors, they’ve used rubber pads on top of the concrete base to give some resiliency.
The finish of the building is quite austere, with yellow the predominant colour to make the interior bright and inviting.
“We’ve got one helluva facility for the dollars,” says Pachoizuk.
“The critics will say we’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I don’t think we have. I feel pretty good about it.”
The big test will come, of course, in how readily its facilities are patronized to offset the estimated $300,000 yearly operating cost.
But Pachoizuk is optimistic that most of them, particularly the pool, will receive a lot of use.
The aquatic centre is the real “grabber” of the building. The L-shaped double 25-metre pool contains 285,000 gallons of water that will be kept at 82 degrees. There’s a wading pool, whirlpool, two saunas with differing temperatures, one- and three-metre diving boards, change rooms with hairdryers for tall, medium and short people, even under water sound for synchronized swimming. The whole operation is handled from a control centre. The gymnasium area contains a major basketball court, or as many as six badminton courts and can be served by mobile fold-up bleachers for spectators. Square dancers will be allowed to use the 120 by 90 foot gym, but they must shed their street shoes to protect the hardwood finish.
MIRRORED WALL
The 50 by 30 foot acoustic room will have a mirrored wall for ballet use. It can be used for other dancing or for musical or band practices. The fitness room will have a universal gym among its $12,000 worth of equipment, dedicated as a memorial to hockey star Ryan Hatfield, and paid for by the family. The 443-seat multi-purpose theatre is designed for the performing arts as well as live theatre and movie presentations. There’s an orchestra pit, areas for construction and storage of props, a “green” room, rehearsal room, male and female star dressing rooms and two cast dressing rooms. The theatre’s seating area is smaller than Pen-Hi’s but the stage, with attractive birch panelling setting it off on its sides, is much larger. The area is served by a foyer.