A $400,000 contract for the demolition of Salmon Arm's Memorial Arena is going to city council for approval.
Of eight compliant bids received in response to a request for proposals, city staff is recommending that council award the demolition of the arena to The Roc Doc Ventures Ltd./Scott Contracting/Haztec Solutions for $373,610 plus taxes.
At the Aug. 25 council meeting, staff will also be asking a pre-approved contingency of $75,000 be authorized to cover project overruns and additional required items.
The recommended Â鶹AV-based contractor submitted the lowest of the eight compliant bids, with 11 in total received by the city. Five of the eight bids were over $509,000. In a report to council, staff noted Roc Doc Ventures "highlighted their ability to set targets for recycling or repurpose materials, aiming to divert approximately 80% of waste from landfills."
Constructed in 1957 by the Salmar Community Association, the arena. In 2023, the city announced the arena would be closed at first snowfall. This was after a preliminary engineering assessment identified concerns around snow load and the building’s structural integrity.
In 2024, the city had a comprehensive structural review done, that included an inventory of all major components of the building, a visual condition inspection and a
"Based on the recommendations provided in the subsequent report, the decision was made to close the Memorial Arena upon the arrival of the first snowfall to ensure public safety and prevent further structural risk.
On Sept. 3, 2024, the city announced its intention to have the facility demolished. This followed a city open house meeting to gather public input on the arena. The city said immediate replacement of the building was not feasible, "as the necessary funds required to undertake this project are not available."
"The city has many essential priorities that must be completed first, such as the expansion of the Water Pollution Control Centre," read a city announcement shared on social media.
