The City of Burnaby expects construction to begin on its newest arena in June.
The South Burnaby Arena (a placeholder name while the city works on choosing a permanent one) will add two NHL-sized ice rinks with 411 spectator seats to the Edmonds Town Centre area. It will also include a skate shop, concession, offices, two multi-purpose rooms and a rooftop patio.
The rezoning of the site at the corner of 10th Avenue and 18th Street was finalized in January and the project’s designer, HCMA Architecture + Design, is finalizing its contract documents while city staff pre-qualify potential contractors, according to a city report.
Construction is expected to take approximately two years, with the rinks opening in late summer 2021.
In the same city report, staff update council on the status of several other major projects underway.
Preliminary project developments are underway for a replacement of the CG Brown Memorial Pool and Burnaby Lake Ice Rink; replacement of the Willingdon Community Centre; addition of new space to supplement the Eileen Dailly Leisure Pool and Fitness Centre; and a new community centre in Cameron Park.
The city is also working with the local school board to bring four child-care centres to school campuses in the city. The modular buildings are expected to be in place this summer at Montecito Elementary School and Capitol Hill Elementary School, followed by one at Stride Community School by June 2020.
The city is in talks with the school board to have another child-care facility at Cascade Heights Community School.
Burnaby is also studying the feasibility of installing emergency backup generators at Edmonds Community Centre, Bonsor Recreation Complex and the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.
Construction is now underway for the first phase of the redevelopment of the city’s main engineering and public works yard on Laurel Street.
