Brief: Engineering study to inform Revelstoke Forum renovation options

This story first appeared in print in the February 2021 issue of Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine. Read the e-edition here:

 The Revelstoke Forum has been quiet during the pandemic with Grizzlies games cancelled, but in the background studies that will inform decisions about the future of the facility are underway.

The city engineering department will have an engineering study completed in the next few months, and the results will help council decide on plans for the facility, said city engineering director Steve Black.

“The issue is the roof on the aging building. Snow load requirements have roughly tripled since it was built, so a significant renovation could trigger structural upgrades. “The roof is inadequate for current building code,” Black said. “That is what is driving the roof replacement project.”

In early 2020, council applied for a $9 million grant to replace the roof and renovate the building, but that grant application was denied. At the time, the city had a concept design that was developed during a needs assessment process that started in 2017. However, more detailed design work wasn’t yet done. In addition to the engineering study, other design work is needed, including on things like the HVAC and interior upgrades, and together they are expected to take about a year. “It’s looking at this from a big picture perspective and not isolation in the one component that has been identified,” Black said.

He expects to bring results of the engineering study to council in about a few months. The study will provide estimates on things like costs and expected lifespan of the renovated building.

“We just want to be sure we’re proceeding with this project in a cost effective and thorough way,” Black said. “When we do go to council with a recommendation that it is comprehensive and well thought out.”

The needs assessment presented two options. The first was renovating the existing building; the main downside would likely be an interruption in use while renovations take place. The second was building a new smaller facility, without curling, and likely without the seating capacity to host Junior B hockey.

Look for some decision points about the future of the arena in about a few months, but also expect that it will be at least a year of further development studies before any potential renovations start, likely longer as the project coordinators sort out the funding question.