The city of Lethbridge will look at repurposing pavilions at the Lethbridge and District Exhibition grounds to be used for various indoor recreation opportunities. Councillor Ryan Parker brought forward a motion to allocate $50,000 for a feasibility study, which is set to come back to council later this year.
“I think if we can do maybe better use of those buildings, versus demolishing them because they have lots of life and a lot of purpose but that’s the whole idea of the feasibility study — to see if we were to extend the life of them, how much it would cost,” Parker said. “I am optimistic that it will come back that it would be a small investment for a long-term gain for the community.”
Lethbridge and District Exhibition previously asked city council for an additional $4.6 million to decommission three old buildings on its grounds after the new Agrifood Hub and Trade Centre opens. Previous plans were to use the space for parking after demolition, but Parker said he has been assured by the organization that it can work around it if they stay standing.
READ MORE: Lethbridge and District Exhibition looking for additional $4.6 million from city for Agrifood Hub
Part of the motion included having a written agreement with the Exhibition before moving forward with the repurposing.
Councillor Jeff Carlson questioned whether the city had resources to look into the project without spending $50,000 on outside consulting, but city administration said it is necessary to have structural engineers involved in the study.
