The outdoor rink at Martensville’s Sports Centre will be getting another much-needed upgrade.

A 22 by 30 foot outdoor rink support building is slated to be built at the site this fall to accommodate a warm-up space for skaters. It will also have a separate room to store the city’s older zamboni. Last year the outdoor rink’s playing surface was levelled, new boards and energy-efficient LED lights were installed. This fall, the rink is being paved to make it an all-weather surface.

Construction of the building is expected to begin this month with a completion date of November 30.

The new warm-up building was originally included in the city’s capital budget adopted last winter. But, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, all capital projects , including the warm-up building, were put on temporary hold.

The original budget allocation for the building was $80,000. However, when tenders for the project were sent out recently, price quotes from contractors were well above that budgeted figure. The lowest bid was $157,400.

In a report to Martensville City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, October 6, Martensville Recreation and Community Services Director Ted Schaeffer said the additional costs were due to several factors. The unexpected presence of underground utility lines, increased construction material prices, additional fire code requirements, the need for a drain to remove snow melt from the machine storage room, and unforeseen additional costs in hooking in to the arena’s utility services all  contributed to the additional cost.

After much debate at its October 6 meeting, city council voted to allocate more funds and proceed with construction of the project this fall. A resolution was passed to boost the original $80,000 budget allocation by an additional $90,000.

The outdoor rink is currently being paved to make it an all-weather surface. The rink support building will be constructed on the south end of the rink.

Martensville Mayor Kent Muench said while it’s unfortunate the cost of the project is much higher than originally anticipated, it’s an amenity that’s needed, particularly this winter when COVID-19 health restrictions are limiting residents’ recreational opportunities.

“It was announced and budgeted for earlier this year,” said Muench. “There will be a lot of disappointment if it’s deferred. This would be the winter when it’s most needed, and in the long run there likely wouldn’t be any savings if it was put off for another year.”

Martensville City Councillor  Darren MacDonald said while he’s in favour of a warm-up facility, the additional costs seemed “excessive for the size and function of the building.” He asked if there wasn’t an option of incorporating the building into the existing arena structure.

Schaeffer said modifying the arena itself would require substantial upgrades to meet higher building and fire code standards. The arena was originally constructed in the 1980s.

Martensville City Councillor Michael Cox said he’d like to see the rink support building project go ahead this fall.

“The warm-up building would complete the project,” said Cox. “It’s got new boards and lights and a new playing surface. The community is expecting it, and I think good use would be made of it.”