Jubilee Arena will remain standing for the time being, and could possibly still be around in 2013 and beyond.
The building was set to be demolished prior to the June 16 grand opening of the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre, but those plans were put on hold once traces of asbestos were found in the structure.
Mayor Bruce Lennon said while no official report on the costs associated with the demolition of the arena has been presented to council, his understanding is that the scope of the work will be beyond the initial $200,000 budget.
“With quick estimates, we’re in excess of half a million bucks,” he said.
There is no risk of exposure to the asbestos while the building is standing, but once it is demolished there is a risk the asbestos could get into the air and expose the demolition workers if they’re not properly protected.
Because of the extra safety measures that will need to be in place to demolish an asbestos-laden building, the cost has increased substantially.
Council is still awaiting a report on the extent of the asbestos and a more detailed estimate of the costs associated with the demolition.
Town manager Darrell Garceau was away from the office last week and could not be reached for comment, but said in an e-mail that the report will be presented to council on May 28. Councillors will then have to make a decision on how to proceed.
Lennon said regardless of what the report says, there’s a good chance the building will remain standing for the time being.
“We’re going to mothball it in a sense — we have to shut down the ice plant and a few other things — but for this year we’re going to leave it intact and assess our position in 2013 and figure out what we’re going to do with it,” he said.
If that’s the case, it will mean short-term savings for the town’s budget.
“This year there will be some savings, but obviously it will impact the budget in subsequent years once we make a decision what we’re going to do with this thing,” he said.
Having the building remain standing for the time being has altered the plans for the new Spirit Centre, as well. The initial plan called for the building to be demolished prior to the parking lot going in, but work on the parking lot has already begun and will be complete in time for the June 16 opening.
“We’re going ahead with basically building the parking lot around it,” Lennon said.
