Alnwick-Haldimand council requested staff to initiate multiple studies to move forward with efforts to upgrade the aging facility.
The future of the Memorial Arena in Grafton took another step forward on July 23, when the council directed staff to undertake several studies before it decides to revamp the aging facility.
The studies will include several components: an assessment of the current facility, a feasibility study, a needs assessment, and three conceptual designs.
This was in response to a Notice of Motion made by Councillor Mike Ainsworth at the last meeting.
The decision came after a public delegation and an intense debate.
Resident Jim McCormack provided a detailed deputation, expressing numerous concerns. A retired director of Parks, Recreation, and Culture with 33 years of experience, McCormack told politicians their initial plan to seek a study was premature. He argued the need for further analysis before any project moves forward.
“My hope is that council will consider, as part of the deliberations
today, to either move to not support the Notice of Motion or to make amendments to move this forward,” he said.
He called on council to undertake a structural inspection of the facility since the last one was done in 2016. He outlined several concerns about the facility’s health and safety standards and deficiencies. He emphasized the need for a feasibility and needs assessment to ensure the community needs will be met now and in the future.
“Council currently does not have the necessary information to make those decisions, but by moving forward in a concise and detailed approach,” he said. “It will allow the council to make informed decisions on this important municipal asset,” he said.
Ainsworth followed up on his notice of motion from the previous meeting, arguing the urgency for council to move forward on the project. He said the Grafton Legion and a number of donors in the community needed to see politicians advance plans for the arena.
The Legion recently expressed its interest to the council, indicating it is interested in moving its facility from its current location west of Grafton to the arena site.
“I know the 2018 study came out. And it was nothing but a dream for the municipality. (We) could never afford it,” he said. “After they did the structural review, and they said it was actually in pretty good shape back then. The rest of it was just a dream. And I don’t think we ever had any dialogue to say what the municipality can afford and what we really were looking for.”
Then, there was a debate over the exact wording of the motion. While many agreed with Ainsworth’s intent, several councillors wanted changes.
Councillor Mary Catherine O’Neill wanted to introduce an amendment to Ainsworth’s motion, handing out a lengthy, detailed set of specific changes, reflecting many of McCormack’s suggestions earlier in the meeting. She wanted to see the three components: a facility condition assessment, a feasibility study, a needs assessment, and conceptual designs.
Councillor Greg Booth also expressed concerns with Ainsworth’s motion, saying it needed changes to remove some specifics. He was successful in getting some details removed.
“So I have a small problem with that because I agree with the intent, Mike, of what you’re saying that we need to get moving on this,” he said. “And I want to make sure that we get on the right road here.”
After some clarifications from township staff and much discussion, the council agreed to direct staff to pursue the three components. The goal is to have the studies completed and a request for proposals moving forward by 2025.