You won’t have long to wait long before you can have your say on the future of the SASCU Recreation Centre in Salmon Arm.
The Shuswap Recreation Society and the City of Salmon Arm have announced they’re beginning the process of planning how the facility should be developed, a process which will consider if there are opportunities for a performing arts centre in the plan.
Over the next six months, HCMA Architecture + Design will create a redevelopment plan, starting with public consultations to allow the community to share input on the right fit and needs for the project.
Darby Boyd, general manager of the Shuswap Recreation Society which operates the facility, says input will begin this summer.
“Starting in late June, there will be opportunities for local residents and business owners to participate in online surveys and in-person events to inform the plan before it goes to Salmon Arm City Council,” he says.
The project will also consider opportunities to incorporate a performing arts theatre in the plan.
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The city acquired a parcel of land to the west of the facility in 2016, with an eye to using it in an upgrade of the pool and/or rec centre.
“A key component of the work carried out by HCMA will be to inform and guide decision-making around the retrofit and re-use of existing buildings versus new facilities,” states a news release issued Monday. “This will require the development of options for an overall Recreation Campus that considers the highest and best use of the land and the existing building assets into the long-term future.”
Boyd says the next step in the process requires a thoughtful and informed assessment of the current building’s conditions, as well as the future demographics and aspirations of the community.
“We need to develop an approach that maximizes current assets to meet future needs.”
The final report is expected to go to Salmon Arm Council in December of this year.
Information on upcoming public input opportunities will be posted on the Salmon Arm Recreation website at http://www.salmonarmrecreation.ca, on Facebook at @SARecreation and on Twitter at @SalmonArmRec.
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marthawickett@saobserver.net
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