New park slated for Vernon’s Civic Arena site

VERNON – Vernon city council has given the go-ahead to begin planning what a new park would look like at the site of the old Civic Arena.

The process will begin this fall with the City beginning community engagement and stakeholder input to consider the various needs of the community and the site, according to a City of Vernon media release. The planning work is expected to wrap-up in the spring of 2020.

The site was identified as a Community Park in the Parks Master Plan and council approved the planning process for the development of a new park on the three-acre site during its Aug. 19 meeting.

"The opportunity to develop a new park in the downtown core of our community is very exciting," Mayor Victor Cumming said in the release. "It’s rare that we get to add greenspace into a fully developed part of the City."

The site currently houses the visitor information centre, parking facilities and a sani-dump. An extension of 30 Street to connect 37 and 39 Avenues is planned for the east side of the site, which will include an extension of the multi-use bicycle and walking path. This leaves around two acres of land to be developed into a new park.

Coun. Dalvir Nahal also requested that city staff look into the option of creating a temporary winter outdoor skating rink on the site and report back with a cost estimate.

Construction is expected to start in late 2020 or early 2021, once the road extension is complete.

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