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6 Friday, December 19, 2014
VOL. 101 NO. 32
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Make a joyful noise École Baker primary students dazzled their friends and family at the concert this week. In this issue we cover Red Bluff, École Baker primary and Parkland elementary school concerts. Watch for more photos in this issue as well as the balance of our coverage in the Dec. 24 issue of the Observer. Annie Gallant photo
Joint Planning reviews current arena plans AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter
With a current quote of $22.6 million and a budget of $17 million, the Joint Planning Committee (city and CRD) has voted to move forward on the arena replacement project, with some minor adjustments. “There’s some modifica-
tions to the aesthetics of the building,” Mayor Bob Simpson said. “It’s a savings of about $600,000.” Simpson said next steps include the hiring of a project manager, while moving to a design development stage which will provide additional details resulting in a second cost estimate.
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“We should have that number by February,” Simpson said. Simpson pointed to the fact the most recent information and figures on the arena was presented Nov. 13 to Joint Planning but was only presented to newly elected officials last week. “This isn’t new data,” he said.
“It took just a bit of time as we had to go through formal process [swearingin, review of information].” The current quote of $22.6 was based on community input sessions, post referendum, once architects incorporated the community’s wish-list, a figure was calculated. Architects then present-
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ed a few different options for Joint Planning to consider in an attempt to bring the price assessment down. One such option was to reduce the size of the building in the proposed location for a savings of approximately $2 million. The other was to proceed with the full arena but on the current arena’s
footprint, resulting in the loss of a season. “These options were presented by architects doing due diligence,” Simpson said. Joint Planning then passed a motion to proceed with the project design with modifications to aesthetics (quality of material) to the outside of the building.
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