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Grandstand will cost $1.5 millionLion's share is coveredDoug Coxson, New Hamburg
(Apr 4, 2007)
Replacing the New Hamburg grandstand will cost an estimated $1.5 million, including a $190,000 list of upgrades that will offer user groups and spectators much more than what was provided by the 60-year-old facility before it was destroyed by fire Jan. 7. Wilmot Township's community programs director Vicky Luttenberger said parks and facilities staff met with the township's insurance adjuster last Wednesday to go over the cost estimate. The adjuster is in the process of reviewing those numbers to determine what will be covered by insurance. It is expected the insurer will cover the full replacement cost of the new facility, minus the enhancements. Any additional features suggested by user groups on the advisory committee working through the grandstand design would have to be covered by either fundraising initiatives in the community, or township investment in the project. "That is yet to be determined," Luttenberger said. Those enhancements include items like waterproofed walls on the lower level of the building and accessible walkways for wheelchair users to get in and around the grandstand. Some funds have already been collected in the community to help pay for a replacement grandstand and the township is still accepting donations. The grandstand and arena future-use advisory committee is expected to meet again April 19 to begin discussions on future uses for the arena, which will end its run as the township's sole ice rink this weekend when the Firebirds' hockey reunion celebrates the end of an era in the "old barn." Township staff hopes to present a final report, including drawings of the proposed grandstand and a cost breakdown, to council April 23. Before that happens, staff are hoping to gather more input from the community. "The public needs to have an opportunity to comment," Luttenberger said. The public is invited to provide its comments and suggestions about the grandstand this week during a public open house April 4 in the Wilmot Community Room at the Township of Wilmot Administration Office in Baden. The open house will run from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
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Grandstand will be built to lastWhen a new grandstand rises at the New Hamburg fairgrounds, it will have a few new amenities its predecessor didn't. There will be washrooms on both upper and lower levels, for example, along with improved wheelchair accessibility. One thing it won't contain? Flammable building materials. When the 60-year-old wooden landmark burned to the ground in January, the decision to rebuild was made days later. But this time, the structure will be comprised of concrete and steel. From a distance, it will appear much like the original grandstand, which had been designated as a heritage structure just weeks before it was lost. "You will not detect that it is any different," said Wilmot Township Mayor Wayne Roth. "We have retained the heritage aspect but added all the modern amenities for a more functional building." In the wake of the fire, members of a committee exploring options for the nearby arena -- which will be replaced by the multi-use recreational facility being built on Highway 7/8 -- were asked to work with a consultant on designs for the new grandstand. Plans were shown to the public at an information session last week. "There's going to be some modernization, of course," said committee member and former mayor Ernie Ritz. "But on balance, it should be quite appealing." The new grandstand will hold nearly 2,000 people -- comparable to the original -- but it will be built closer to the arena, in a central spot near the two baseball diamonds. "It's moving to much higher ground," Roth said, "where water has never reached in my lifetime." The fairgrounds often flood in the spring when the nearby Nith River overflows. Given that the area is located on a flood plain, a permit will be required from the Grand River Conservation Authority before construction begins. The grandstand could be completed by the end of the year. The fire, which began in the early-morning hours on Jan. 7, was deemed suspicious from the start. No arrests have been made. Insurance will cover the replacement cost of the old structure, estimated at $1.6 million. Roth said the township is still negotiating with its insurer to determine if certain amenities in the new grandstand will be deemed enhancements that won't be covered by insurance. |
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