Prince George residents will have the opportunity to take a look at the plans for the Kin Centre tomorrow night.
The city and PBK Architects are hosting an open house in the Kin Centre Atrium, where design concepts will be presented for public review at 7:30 p.m. The plans have incorporated user group input and feedback and there will be an opportunity for additional comments Tuesday night.
In order to have a facility designed to the meet the standards of the 2015 Canada Winter games, the project will effectively reconstruct most of the Kin 1 building. The Canada Games requires an increase in the ice surface of Kin 1 to the Olympic standard of 200 feet by 100 feet from its current size of 185 feet by 85 feet.
The proposed plan will use a composite wood timber structure to span a larger distance, creating a wider playing surface and also addresses deficiencies in the Kin Centre's washrooms, dressing rooms and official's rooms, as well as a new roof for Kin 1.
Once public feedback on the $15.8-million project is complete, the final detailed plan will be presented to city council for approval in December. Construction is slated to begin next May and wrap up by October 2013.
In a September presentation to council, city community services director Colleen Van Mook said the city will work with user groups to maximize the use of the ice available, and will will at increasing the availability of CN Centre to mitigate the lost ice time during the construction process.
The Kin Centre project has had its share of controversy, despite no shovels having been put in the ground yet.
City council initially voted in favour of adding a new rink, then voted against it after Mayor Dan Rogers revisited the motion in a special act. A new rink, coupled with some still-required upgrades at Kin 1, would have cost an estimated $22.2 million.
The $1-million contract for the current project was awarded to the Vancouver-based PBK Architects without going to tender in July.
