NEWS FILE PHOTO Mayor Ted Clugston (left), LaVerne Noble, chair of the seniors citizens advisory council, and Varley Wiseman admire the completed renovations at Strathcona Centre last November. This summer the city will begin additional renovations expected to cost $1 million.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
The city says major renovations will begin at Strathcona Centre this summer and the building will be closed from the beginning of September to early December.
The work will include a new roof, new siding, replacing HVAC equipment, fire alarm components and a new barrier-free entrance.
“This is the first major rehabilitation project at Strathcona Centre since it was opened in 1979,” said Scott Woodside, facilities project co-ordinator. “While some cosmetic upgrades were done last year as part of the Seniors Centre Development Project, this work is critical to maintain the integrity of the building.”
The $1-million cost has already been approved as part of the City’s budget, said Woodside.
The work done last year cost $225,000 and included electrical work, renovations to washroom facilities to make them barrier-free, fresh paint, lighting, storage for ping-pong tables and also carpet. Completion of that work was celebrated last November.
Woodside says those renovations had more to do “with the seniors’ centre redevelopment” that took place after re-opening the Veiner Centre.
“The work that we’re dong this year was requested through a TCA (tangible capital asset). It’s a budget request from city council and of course at the time last year they were just writing up the new budgets. It wasn’t approved or the money wasn’t available then.”
Woodside said he was not aware of it being done in this manner to avoid having the $1 million being considered part of the total cost for renovating the Veiner Centre.
The first phase of this new construction phase will begin on the exterior of the building in July, after the Alberta 55-plus 2019 Summer Provincial Games.
The Strathcona Centre will then be close from Sept. 2 to early December for the rest of the work to be carried out.
“Residents will have access to the full facility, pool and change rooms throughout the summer,” Woodside said. “Once the pool is closed for the season, construction will move inside and we can tackle several projects at once to shorten the construction period required.”
While Strathcona Centre is closed those with a Veiner Centre membership and the additional fitness centre membership will have their membership honoured at the Crestwood Recreation Centre.
A range of activities takes place at Strathcona Centre including table tennis, line dancing, Qi gong, floor curling, bocce ball and pickle ball.
