The old pavilions at the Lethbridge and District Exhibition are generally sound but it may not be viable to keep them, according to a report to council.
City staff was directed to investigate the viability of repurposing the buildings in the spring and reported back to council on Dec. 12. The details are not fully complete, but it found about $1.6 million would be needed to address maintenance deficits and age-related needs.
An additional $6.4 million would be needed for less critical needs, such as resurfacing the parking lot and replacing flooring. Not including the costs of repurposing the buildings, they would likely need about $30 million over the next 25 years, according to the report.
“There has been an immense amount of work undertaken over the last several months,” says Jason Elliott, director of corporate services for the City of Lethbridge. “We now need time to go through that in more detail and evaluate what that would mean for the city.”
The Lethbridge and District Exhibition planned on demolishing the buildings and asked the city to approve funding for the work in March. In May, council decided to investigate repurposing them for indoor recreation.
“We will continue to do our due diligence with the investigation of these facilities,” says councillor Ryan Parker who brought forward the resolution to do the review. “Having a clear understanding and detailed analysis of these buildings will help council in their decision-making process.”
BACKGROUND: City to explore feasibility of repurposing old Exhibition pavilions for indoor recreation