A contract has been awarded for the construction of phase three of the Cold Lake Energy Centre expansion.
The new addition, which has a budget of $20 million, will be finished in the spring of 2018.
Construction is set to begin this fall. It will bring a second arena, lounge, 360-degree climbing wall, an office and storage space for non-profit organizations, a mini-stick arena, and a significant expansion to the concourse area of the building.
The lounge area will have a catered kitchen along with a bar that will over look the new arena along with the existing Imperial Oil Arena.
The new 400-person arena will be complete with it's own dressing rooms, as well as a warm viewing area with a mini-stick arena for spectators.
The second floor concourse will also be expanded for a viewing area of the climbing wall, along with access to the new arena.
Mayor Craig Copeland is ready for a change with the town's facilities.
“This is another large step forward in council's vision for the Energy Centre and Imperial Park. Our North Arena has served the community well, but the building is tired and past its service life.”
He added that he is excited to have an outstanding facility for the community to use.
“We have looked at every chance to make these amenities complement each other and the existing space. This phase of expansion will help to make sure that our youth have top-notch recreation facilities available year-round,” expressed Copeland.
Now that the contract for the phase three expansion has been awarded, the multi-purpose artificial turf field will now move into detailed design. The gymnastic centre, dance facility, and field house expansions will also be moving into the design and development process.
Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Nagoya spoke about the upcoming expansions.
“Imperial Park and the Cold Lake Energy Centre have seen plenty of growth in amenities, usership and interest over the years and we want to make sure that the facility and the park are developed in a manner consistent with councils vision,” explained Nagoya. “Master plans are, by their nature, living documents and after this phase of expansion we feel it is an appropriate time to step back and see how far we've come and where we want to go.”
The Lakeland Catholic School District has also requested Imperial Park to be the site of a future high school. The city will now be further updating the Energy Centre Master Plan in light of this request before finalizing the location of the planned facilities.
