A Moment with the Mayor: Addressing recent Lloydminster Place questions

I appreciate the many questions being asked by residents, business owners and community visitors about Lloydminster Place – the city’s newly proposed event facility. Here, I’ll answer some of the many questions that have been asked.

Why is the Centennial Civic Centre being replaced?

The Centennial Civic Centre is reaching the end of its usable life, as identified in various facility inspections and engineering reviews. Once the end of life is determined, the facility cannot be used by the public. The latest engineering report gives the facility a two- to four-year lifespan. To ensure we have facilities for our community, we need to be proactive and plan and construct for the future.

Why is this project so expensive?

The current proposal is for the development of a multi-purpose building and recreational area. From the construction perspective, savings of up to 15 per cent can be obtained by looking at the bigger picture and the current and future needs of the community. The project is not simply a rink but would provide three ice surfaces, and a facility to host events from concerts, and ethnic gatherings to sporting events and more.

The original concept budget looked at the entire project in one step. As preliminary budget numbers come in, Council and Administration are looking at the likelihood of a four-step plan to build and develop the area which would correspond to our community’s needs and financial abilities.

Who is going to pay for it? What is the funding strategy?

The project is not small and comes at a cost. The City has applied to the Saskatchewan and Canadian governments through a grant application process for funding. This same process is underway as well with the Alberta and federal governments. The City has reserves set aside to help pay a portion of the costs. Two committees are working through sponsorship and fundraising to help with the project funding as well. Lastly, the City has the ability to take a debenture or loan to cover the remaining costs of the project once City Council makes a final decision about moving forward on the project.

The project team continues to refine the scope of work and work on cost estimates (clarifying them to a great degree of certainty) and we’ll continue to engage the community, seek input, and support and answer questions about this project and others in our community.

For more information about Lloydminster Place, and to sign up for monthly email updates, visit LloydminsterPlace.ca.

Mayor Gerald S. Aalbers
City of Lloydminster