Heald Pool sits in a half-demolished state this week after portions of the building were gutted by crews this summer.--NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The demolition of Heald Pool is well underway, while plans to improve the nearby park are still in the planning stages, city parks officials stated on Wednesday.
The pool site, which will be torn down and dug up this summer, will become the new site of the high-board skating rink located across the street at the former Riverside School.
Talks are still ongoing between the city and school site owner, Covenant Health, about whether the rink will operate this coming winter as a public rink on now-private land, said Maureen Mudry of the parks department.
“Once demolition is complete we’ll move to planning and design stages ahead of next year,” said Mudry, who is in charge of special projects for the department.
“We are looking at creating a gathering place for the community.”
The city budget calls for $300,000 in spending at the park this year, above demolition costs, and another $200,000 in 2021.
The Riverside Redevelopment Plan, drawn up by the planning department, not parks, last year, described the two-square-block riverside park as the obvious focal point of green and open spaces in the community. It states that it is a likely site to relocate the outdoor rink from neighbouring Riverside School site. A picnic area, pathways, new benches, and new gazebo as a central feature, would increase use and benefits to patrons.
Heald Pool was ordered closed in late 2016 after council considered budget cuts that also led to the Medicine Hat Arena closure.
At the time, administrators said the pool was in need of $250,000 in repair work, which they couldn’t justify spending on an older facility that cost $80,000 per year to run and was used by a small percentage of swimmers.
