There’s no way around it

Council approves PMC repairs that mean Lakers will likely play somewhere else for entire 2018 season

The Lakers may have to find someplace else to play, instead of the Memorial Centre, for an entire season in 2018 – and there’s not a lot the city can do about it, councillors have decided.

The Memorial Centre – which is 60 years old – needs more than $5 million in repairs, city staff has informed council.

At a meeting on Monday, councillors gave preliminary approval to a plan that gets the work done between now and 2019.

The list of repairs includes replacement of the slab floor and refrigeration equipment that keeps the ice pads cold, as well as roof repairs and new rooftop HVAC units.

City staff recommends part of the job begin now: They will start with the roof in 2017.

That’s expected to cost about $1.4 million; staff says it can take the money from several small construction projects that have been deferred or cancelled lately.

But in 2018, the city’s in for a bigger challenge.

Staff recommends replacing the floor and the refrigeration equipment, which is all more than 40 years old.

It’s going to mean the Lakers lacrosse team will be turfed for their entire season in 2018 – a prospect that left several councillors unhappy Monday night.

But councillors ultimately gave preliminary approval to the plan after city staff said the floor could fail in the middle of the Petes season in 2018.

There’s no way around it, said city community services director Ken Doherty: Between the Petes and the Lakers, the Memorial Centre is used year-round. You can’t help but disrupt someone’s season, he said.

Meanwhile it’s absolutely necessary to do the repairs, he told councillors: The floor and the refrigeration equipment haven’t been upgraded since 1976 and could fail at any time.

Doherty wasn’t happy about breaking the news to the Lakers.

“This was not a decision we took lightly,” he said. “Both teams are adversely affected, no matter which direction we go.”

But Coun. Don Vassiliadis was concerned about the Lakers.

They were turfed out of the Mem Centre for a season in 2003, he said, but at that time they had 1,000 fans – now they’ve got 3,000.

The Lakers would likely have to play in an arena someplace like Oshawa, Vassiliadis said – and how many fans would drive there for games?

“We’d be naive to think we can move the Lakers and that would be OK for them - that’s a concern for me,” Vassiliadis said.

He also said he has concerns about paying to repair an arena that could soon be obsolete (the city plans to look into building a new arena for OHL and other purposes, and it unclear whether the Memorial Centre would be repurposed or closed).

Coun. Dan McWilliams was also unhappy about moving the Lakers out for a season.

He said the city has to work aggressively to find the Lakers a temporary home, if they’re going to kick out the team.

“They’re our tenants – I think we need to look after these people,” he said.

Coun. Lesley Parnell asked Doherty whether they could have the Lakers play in Morrow Park, on the turf.

Doherty said probably not – then it would be field lacrosse.

She then asked whether the team could play on one of the city’s artificial turf fields. Again, Doherty said that’s not likely.

“I think that completely changes the nature of the game .... As soon as you move to artificial or natural turf, it’s a completely different sport,” Doherty said.

This year, the city is expected to complete a study on the possible replacement of the arena. There’s a chance the city will build new.

One possible location that’s been discussed is Townsend St., on the property where the public works yard stands now (it’s moving this year to a new location on Rye St.)

McWilliams asked how it makes sense to pay for a roof for the Memorial Centre that could last up to 20 years when it’s not even clear the arena will stay open that long.

But it’s expected to take up to a year to complete the OHL arena study, and five or six more years to build a new arena.

Doherty said the Memorial Centre is going to have to last at least that long – or far longer, of the city wants to use it for something else, like perhaps year-round lacrosse.

Coun. Dave Haacke reminded councillors the Memorial Centre is the city’s building – and no matter its ultimate fate, it needs repairs now.

“It’s unfortunate, but we have to deal with it,” he said. Mayor Daryl Bennett agreed. “We’re doing everything we should be doing,” he said. “Is everyone going to be 150% happy? Well, no.”

But city staff has worked out a plan, he said, and council should follow it.

“We know we have a problem. We’ve identified the problem - we have to find a solution,” he said. “Let’s get it done.”