With all the renovations going on at the Uniplex, it might seem that there is no need for more, but one more project was added to the list last week.
The Humboldt Broncos asked the city for permission to expand and renovate their dressing room at the Elgar Petersen Arena and council gave it the go ahead at their regular meeting on January 10.
However, the Broncos also wanted the city to loan them the money for at least part of the renovations, which would be paid back after the 2012 RBC Cup using revenues generated by the event.
Council said no to lending the hockey team the money because the city already has to come up with funding for other renovations to the Elgar Petersen Arena, including an expanded media box, explained Mayor Malcolm Eaton.
The renovations and expansion of the Broncos' dressing room will see the city pay to move a wall and redo some electrical work, but the Broncos will have to pay for any work done inside the dressing room, explained Darrell Lessmeister, Director of Leisure Services.
Possible changes, dependent on a report from a structural engineer, include the removal of a washroom in the basement, the expansion of the Broncos' dressing room into what is currently Dressing Room No. 5 and the expansion of Dressing Room No. 5 into the space currently occupied by the washroom, Lessmeister said.
"The dressing room is roughly 30 years old," said Lance Unger, a Broncos board member. "It needs a facelift."
The team is currently in the planning phases for renovations to the dressing room and asked the city to determine exactly how much space would be available, Unger explained.
"Once we find out how much space, then we can design a space and then price it," Unger said. "Once we have a price, then we would determine how to pay for it."
While the board would like to have the dressing room expansion done for the 2011 season and the 2012 RBC Cup, Unger says they are still in the early stages of planning the renovations.
The Bronco board is hopeful and confident that the RBC will be profitable and would help pay for the renovations.
"We have some reserves set aside and we would like to leave a legacy for the team with a new dressing room," Unger said.
