Skyway arena revitalization planned for 2020; open house for Lakeside Plaza redevelopment Aug. 8

At the recent open houses for the proposed Lakeside Plaza redevelopment, residents were asking about the future of Skyway arena.City Council approved a new build for Skyway area in 2020 that includes:

• increasing the ice pad size from the current 175'x75' to 200'x85'
• a cold and warm viewing area (currently no warm viewing area)
• 6 change rooms (up from 4 currently)
• two community meeting rooms (currently none)
• open during the day to accommodate programming needs for the seniors’ population.
• outdoor patio and potential community gardens
• fully accessible
• moved closer to the road for a better streetscape in the neighbourhood but that will eliminate a baseball diamond
• replacement of Freon, a hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant (mandated by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act by 2020)
• LEED Silver Certification

The estimated cost is $13.9 million. An option for a second floor walking track, at an extra $2.8 million, was not supported by staff or council.Funding has been included in the city's capital budget, with design in 2018 and construction in 2020.Staff and members of Council have met with the owners of Lakeside Plaza to discuss potential synergies between the arena revitalization and plaza redevelopment. As both projects progress, opportunities to partner and enhance will be explored.A second set of open houses are planned for Lakeside Plaza redevelopment on Aug. 8:When:  Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018Time:  2 – 4 p.m. and 7 – 9 p.m.Location: Lakeside Plaza, Unit 11, 5353 Lakeshore Rd, BurlingtonThe project was approved by council Dec. 19, 2016. Read the staff report:PR-13-16 Skyway ArenaMy Take: I supported the rebuild of the arena, and additional seniors programming in this area. I’m interested to hear from residents your thoughts on the value of a second floor, or other possible enhancements to the arena and lands in discussion with the Lakeside plaza redevelopment.