S TANDARD TERRACE
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VOL. 27 NO. 9
Pool fix cost rises
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
By JOSH MASSEY
SPIRALLING COSTS have forced the city to scale back the work needed to preserve its aquatic centre. A first cost estimate of $310,500 to, among other items, stabilize the centre’s crumbling west wall, paled when two bids for the work came in at more than $600,000 each, city council learned at its June 9 meeting. “Sorry I don’t have better news,” leisure services director Carmen Didier told council as she explained why the estimated price tag had doubled since last fall. “It is what it is,” said mayor Dave Pernarowski, who along with the rest of council carried a motion to proceed with a revised project plan. Back in 2012 Bruce Carscadden Architects Inc. prepared a 86-page report commissioned by the city that outlined various ideas and cost estimates that originally included a glass wall and a waterside. Because of budgetary concerns the city elected last fall to proceed with only basic upgrades. This was to include rebuilding the west wall, painting the interior of the existing centre, as well as improvements to mechanical, heating, ventilation and power distribution, at the estimated cost of $310,500. “So that was considerably higher than what we had budgeted for because when we estimated the cost of the west wall we based the rebuild on what we did on the east wall,” said Didier. “The new present day-building codes meant we also add columns,” said Didier in further explaining the high cost of the work now needed on the structure. The additional work includes replacing structural support beams. Didier consequently had the building plan revised with the downscaled vision at a final cost of $410,000.
TANISHA SALTER PHOTO
■ Look what I have NATHAN ARCHER, who took part in a Terrace Scout and Venture weekend camping trip to Watson Lakes east of Terrace, examines a sample of marine life. Nearly 30 young people and leaders took part in the expedition. For more on their weekend, please see Page B1.
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Thornhill location picked for hotel By JOSH MASSEY A NEW hotel in lower Thornhill is in the works for a 93-room operation located off of Hwy 16 between Desjardins Ave. and River Drive. The hotel will be part of the Holiday Inn Express chain and a numbered company from the lower mainland that will own the development has applied for a rezoning and a variance permit through the Regional District of Kitmat-Stikine (RDKS). “They’re built with the
Artistic layers Dual art exhibits have more in common than one might think \COMMUNITY B1
traveller in mind,” said RDKS director for the Thornhill area Ted Ramsey. “They’ll have a shuttle out to the airport, that kind of thing.” The rezone will switch the usage of part of the land owned by the company from their current light industrial designation to commercial in order to allow for the development. A public hearing happened yesterday in which the public could comment on the proposed zone change. The variance permit will
allow for the height extension proposed by the Holiday Inn developers who want to exceed the current limit of three storeys in a commercial zone. The requested height is 15.35 metres, which is 3.35 metres higher than the current bylaw maximum of 12 metres. “Higher isn’t a big deal. I would rather see it higher than wider,” said Ramsey. This new development joins a number of other hotels at various stages of planning and development in
Terrace. Already under construction is Smithers-based developer Kim Tran’s Sunshine Inn off Hwy16 beside Kalum Tire in Terrace. And Calgary-based Superior Lodging Co-op is planning to build a 100-room hotel on the former Terrace Co-op lands on Greig Ave. Superior has a deal to buy the land from the city when environmental work is completed. Another numbered company is looking to develop a 80-90 room hotel on lots beside Canadian Tire on
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Hyw16 and Pomeroy Lodging is another company that wants to break into the Terrace hotel market after announcing its intention to purchases the Chances Terrace gaming centre. Ramsey said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Holiday Inn Express is the first of several hotels destined for Thornhill. “It’s the start of more than one going in I think, it’s just the start of it,” he said. “Thornhill is changing rapidly. You hear about more hotels going in.”
With new business coming to Terrace’s neighbouring community, Ramsey said impetus is growing for a much-needed sewer line in lower Thornhill and that the regional district is looking for ways to tackle the $3.5 million cost. “The plan has always been to put a sewer line in,” said Ramsey. “The next stage is to link a commercial core into a new line.” The company owns other hotels in the north, according to its application to the regional district.
Congrats Swim club winds down with end-of-year awards and accolades \SPORTS A14