Estevan hockey arena shut down after 60 years
Building has had mechanical, structural and electrical issues, says mayor
Estevan's Civic Auditorium has been deemed no longer fit for use after a recent survey of the building revealed some glaring safety issues.
Mayor Roy Ludwig said the 60-year-old building had mechanical, electrical and structural issues. One corner of the building sat about four inches lower than the others due to excess rain over the years, he added.
"We were thinking of putting some fairly serious money into Civic to spruce it up, fix it up," Ludwig said.
The building had been recently surveyed — the first survey in 13 years. Usually, they're conducted every 10 years.
That study revealed more issues than city council had expected, Ludwig said, with costs piling up to about $5 million and there was a potential for more costs to accumulate.
"Costs can escalate fairly quickly because you don't know what you're getting into and at the end of the day, you'll still have a 60-year-old building."
Structural support is in question, as well, Ludwig said. The lumber used to construct supports for the building back in 1957 was untreated, meaning moisture has seeped in over the years and deterioration has set in.
City council will discuss the building's future on Monday, Ludwig said. It was one of three rinks in the community. They will then decide whether or not to retire the building permanently or put some more money into it.