The City of Penticton is moving towards the next step of replacing its aging Memorial and McLaren arenas.

Council will be presented on Aug. 20 with a plan that would see further assessments and the development of a business case for a twin-pad arena located at the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC) complex.

The proposal is the latest in several years to propose replacing the two aging facilities. The twin-rink proposal was last before the public as part of the city's Civic Places and Spaces project. 

 The arenas the twin-rinks would replace, Memorial and McLaren, are approaching the end of their serviceable life, or in the case of Memorial Arena, have had their life extended beyond their original expectancy.

The demand for ice time has continued to grow, and the Aug. 20 report includes an ice time usage study that former city councillor Frank Regehr called for in 2022. 

According to that study, the amount of hours booked for arena time, including dry time for users such as lacrosse or roller derby, has increased from a combined 9,265.89 hours across all of the city's arenas in 2022, up to 10,367.95 hours in 2023, not including maintenance time. 

Without a replacement for the Memorial and McLaren, a number of the user groups reported they'd be forced to find ice time elsewhere such as the Penticton Minor Hockey Association, which would have to cut the number of practices and tournaments they could host.

As another example, the CSSHL Championships are using ice in Summerland, as McLaren is not an option, and no other ice time is available in Penticton.

The city is not currently proposing anything regarding the future of Memorial Arena or McLaren Arena.

"Beyond decommissioning these facilities as arena surfaces, the future of these two buildings and the land they sit on will require additional planning and analysis, outside of the Arena Feasibility Study, for Council consideration,91裸聊视频� said Kelsey Johnson, the city91裸聊视频檚 director of community services.

The plan being proposed by the city would include the following steps:

91裸聊视频� Field Meeting: An on-site meeting to review potential locations and constraints for the new facility at the SOEC campus.

91裸聊视频�  Review of Background Materials: An assessment of the current condition and utilization of the existing arena facilities, including financial reports and any updates to the city's Recreation Master Plan.

91裸聊视频� User Needs Assessment: A verification of the needs for a twin pad facility, incorporating recent data and user group consultations.

91裸聊视频� New Concept Development: The creation of up to three design options for the twin pad facility, including site plans, floor plans, and capital costing.

91裸聊视频� Strategic Meeting with the city: A meeting to discuss the findings from the concept development and confirm the functional space program.

91裸聊视频� Business Plan Development: Estimation of capital costs, operating financials for 20 years, and an updated review of potential funding sources.

91裸聊视频� Reporting: The creation of a draft and final business case and feasibility assessment report.

91裸聊视频� Presentation: A presentation of the findings to council

If council gives its approval to proceed, the city is aiming to have the study completed by December.

The full report, including the ice time study, is available in the council agenda for Aug. 20, which is available from the City of Penticton's website.