Arena costs skyrocket

The Regional Board has approved an updated capital budget for the construction of the 1,500-seat Royal LePage Place.

The cost of building the phase two expansion at the Mount Boucherie Community Centre Complex is now estimated at $12.7 million, up from the $10.1 million budget approved by the Regional Board in June 2006. The Board has agreed to finance the additional $3,963,747 through short-term five year financing. This will see the average property owner within the Mount Boucherie Recreation Complex and Senior Citizens Activity Centre Service Area contribute approximately $25 per year more than previously estimated to service the additional borrowing.

The Board has been told that rising construction and associated costs in this heated-building environment are responsible for much of the budget increase. It cost an additional $417,000 to complete the Form in Place Concrete work on the 57,000 square foot facility. As well it took longer than anticipated to complete the project, adding approximately $250,000 more to the budget for extra heating and hoarding and additional final preparation of the finished interior concrete surface. Additional costs of totaling $271,000 associated with the installation of theatre-style seats, a gondola, score board, illuminated ad signs and sponsor signs will be recovered over the next ten years through sponsorships.

Work is underway on expanding and landscaping the parking lot at an estimated cost of $395,000. Once complete, access to the complex and Mount Boucherie Secondary School will be available from Hewl Road as well as Cameron Road.

The Royal LePage Place expansion also includes a year-round walking concourse, storage garage and additional on-site parking. The Canada-BC Infrastructure Grant Program contributed $2 million towards the project. To date the Mount Boucherie Expansion Society has raised over $426,000 in cash and in-kind contributions and has received commitments of a further $257,627 over the next five years towards the expansion, including funds from the sale of building naming rights. A Provincial Government ‘Spirit of 2010’ grant has also provided funds to install a complete audio-visual system for the entire Mount Boucherie Community Centre Complex.