Sportsplex requires more repairs

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This article was published 12/05/2023 (987 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Brandon hopes repairs to the Sportsplex’s ice plant will be completed by the end of June, tender documents posted online this week show.

On March 3, the city issued a notice stating the venue’s ice arena had to be closed temporarily because of problems discovered with the ammonia ice plant.

Thirteen days later, the city issued another release stating that an inspection had occurred and a plan was being drawn up to fix the problems. While the ice plant remains closed, the city had been opening up the space temporarily for activities like roller-skating and ball hockey.

The tender documents state the city is looking for a shell and tube chiller to have an oil drain valve replaced, two compressors replaced, install a new condenser, bring a brine pump to within operating tolerances, to replace certain pressure relief valves and repair intake dampers.

“An assessment of the ice plant has been completed, resulting in several repairs and replacements required to extend the safe operational life of the ice plant by up to two years,” the document reads.

Bidding for the tender closes at 5 p.m. on May 16.

A spokesperson for the city sent a statement by email saying the June 30 deadline isn’t certain, with the tender providing an option for contractors to list an expected completion date if they can’t meet the target.

“In many cases, there are still delays in the supply chain, which can effect project timelines,” the statement read. “Once bids have been received and the project has been awarded, the City of Brandon will be in a better position to identify a timeline for completion of repairs and reopening of the facility. At this point, all arena ice bookings have been cancelled up to and including June 30, 2023.”

These repairs being set in motion comes after Brandon issued another tender last month looking for a contractor to complete an assessment and conceptual design for a renovation or replacement of the facility. Bids for that tender have closed, but a winner has yet to be announced.

Documents for this other tender state, “the ice plant at the Sportsplex is in poor condition and has exceeded its life expectancy,” though it acknowledges the demand for its ice surface has declined since the J&G Homes Arena opened on the edge of Brandon in the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis.

“The proposed 2023 needs assessment and conceptual design will assess whether community need is for a renewed ice plant and arena, or an alternate redevelopment, such as indoor turf and sport court,” the document reads.

“The outcome of this project is to determine a viable option for redevelopment and develop the conceptual design for the chosen option. This assessment will determine utilization, demand and supply levels for sport growth and future needs. The assessment will include public consultation, site analysis, review of pertinent documents, trend study and cost impacts for each option.”

Whatever is determined to be the best course of action will be put forward in next year’s capital budget for Brandon City Council to consider.

The Sportsplex’s pool was closed from March 2020 until December 2021 after problems were discovered with its water, air circulation and drainage systems.

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