Memorial Arena to get special focus in infrastructure discussions

PENTICTON – A more in-depth engagement process will be initiated between the City of Penticton and its residents during discussions regarding the future of Memorial Arena.

Community engagement consultant JoAnne Kleb told council earlier this week she has completed the first phase of engagement work for the city’s Infrastructure Challenge Engagement, part of an effort aimed at collecting citizen feedback on how best to handle the city’s $175 million infrastructure deficit.

Kleb said residents had much to say and many varied opinions regarding what should be the fate of Memorial Arena, which she hopes to address in the next phase of the engagement process.

Some of the comments included demolishing the arena and working with the remaining three ice sheets, demolishing the arena and replacing it with a two sheet facility, advice not to throw good money after bad, and repairing the arena to honour its history.

Kleb said given such divergent views, a more in depth and customized engagement approach is being considered.

The city received 59 completed surveys, distributed through in person activities with Kleb and through the city’s website to gauge awareness of the issue and provide a forum for residents to share feedback on options during the initial engagement process.

Kleb said citizen awareness of the infrastructure issue is “quite good,” noting citizens were seeking more information on the condition of the city’s buildings and any planned investments, as well as options to fund the infrastructure work and the impacts predicted. She also noted there were widely divergent views expressed on many issues by those who responded.

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