Thursday, April 5, 2007

What's $90 Million Buy These Days?

After finding the Mad Hatters blog I started reading a little more about what's happening down in Medicine Hat.

I noticed that there was a lot of talk about a new arena to house the WHL Tigers and get them out of the 30 year old 4000 seat arena that they play in now. The city has conducted some feasibility studies on the concept of building a new barn with 6500 seats. Guess what it will cost ....

Yep, about $90 Million.

Ok, that probably wasn't hard given the title of the post but it got me thinking about the projects we are considering here.

We are looking at the development of the new Aquatics Centre and Field House at the Community Knowledge Campus The consultants are just beginning the broad public review of the concept but take a guess at what the likely cost of the facility is ...

Yep, about $90 Million.

This is just off the top of my head so I may miss something or get something wrong but to give you a very basic picture of what that $90M will buy us:

Aquatics
10 lane, 54m Main Tank
Smaller Warm Up Tank
Diving Towers (up to 10m)
2 Waterslides
Lazy River Tube Ride
2 Hot Tubs (one for families & one for adults)
Spray Deck (water cannons ect for the kids)
Surf Machine
Seating for up to 1000 spectators

Fitness
Weight Room ("room" is a little misleading here - think World's Gym size)
300m Running track
Indoor Soccer Field
2 Multipurpose "floor-plates" (up to 6 full size basketball courts)
Seating for up to 1500 spectators

Other
All the connections and common areas with the rest of the CKC
Lease space (Walk up Food services, Sit down restaurant or stores ect.)

That doesn't really do it justice - I'll see if I can find the concept that was presented to Council - but you get the idea.

For the same $90 Million I think I like what we're getting, even if just for the simple fact that more people in the community can use it for a wider range of activities. From national competitions to health & wellness for kids and seniors.

What do you think?

3 comments:

wnellis said...

This facility has been a long time coming. I only hope that council has the fortitude to pass this before the cost balloons to 110, 130 million. Things never get any cheaper around here and stalling any portion of this project (I'm scared that the fieldhouse will be set back)will result in nothing but cost overruns and delays. Council needs to buckle down and start projects that will leave a lasting legacy.

This being said, nothing should happen until the Gymniks is finally twinned. All four of Grande Prairie's gymnasts have toiled in these cramped conditions for too long.

jace anderson said...

Bill,
Great site! it is encouraging to see an Alderman blogging... providing instant feedback to his constituents. I am from Medicine Hat, home of the proposed 90 million dollar arena, and i wanted to offer a link to my blog where i offer another interesting way to spend $90,000,000. i am not suggesting that this option could work for you, nor am i suggesting that your choice of expenditure is somehow incorrect it could very well be exactly what your community wants (although i am quite sure our spending 90 on an arena at this time is wrong): I am unaware of the financial constraints your community is in... and as such, i don't presume to judge.
Keep up the blogging!

Anonymous said...

With all this talk of money and how much thing cost, How about hitting up the oil company's that depend on the worker's from our community! Calgary has the talisman centre. I'm sure with all the money Conoco-Philips, Devon, Encana, Duverney, Husky, Suncor, Paramount, And so on we could have a paid for facility if the would give back to the community !!!

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