$54K business case ordered for twin rinks

Fresh strides have been taken to study the feasibility of building a new twin-rinks arena in Penticton.

The city announced this week it has hired Toronto-based Sierra Planning and Management to prepare a business case for the new facility that will include detailed construction and operating cost estimates, plus a parking and traffic study.

Council last year tentatively approved exploring the feasibility of a new twin-rinks facility to replace aging McLaren and Memorial arenas.

“The business case is the next step towards making a decision on the future of Penticton arenas and making the vision a reality,” Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said in a press release.

“This is potentially a $34-million dollar investment so we need to support it with proper analysis and confirm it is the right plan for the community for the next 50 years.”

The business case, which has a $53,500 price tag, is expected to be delivered to the public in the spring.

The city is still awaiting word on a $6million grant for which it applied to help fund construction of a new arena, but is optimistic that even if that bid is unsuccessful, there will be other grant opportunities available.