A clubhouse that was built in 1985 at Penticton’s King’s Park could soon be demolished in a favour of a new facility.
Council will be asked on Tuesday, Dec. 20, to approve an expenditure of up to $150,000 from the Asset Emergency Fund for the purpose of demolishing the Penticton Soccer Clubhouse, a facility that includes a washroom, change room and concession area.
The proposed demolition is supported by Pinnacles Football Club.
“It appears that the damages sustained in a recent storm, along with the additional deficiencies and newly discovered issues have resulted in a very expensive anticipated repair,” wrote Alan Helm, chairman of the board at Pinnacles FC. “With that in mind, and with the understanding that the objective would be to replace the building with a new structure to address all the needs of the various groups, we believe this is the most appropriate course of action.”
Construction of the 37-year-old clubhouse — located at 550 Eckhardt Avenue West — came with a price tag of about $169,000. Approximately 17 per cent of it was funded by the city, with other financial contributions coming from Pinnacles FC and the B.C. government.
Today, however, the condition of the building is in question.
Local fire crews arrived at the facility in September 2022, finding water penetration to have occurred from the roof into the fire panel leading to the activation of the alarm.
“It’s sad to hear that our clubhouse, washrooms and change rooms have sustained a lot of damage and that the building needs to be replaced,” wrote Dale Anderson, the chairman and president of the Penticton Soccer Club. “After a couple meetings with city staff and PFC, we want to support replacing the damaged building with a new facility that will last many years to come.”
In recent years, the clubhouse has also served as a lounge area for social gatherings, attendees of the Penticton Scottish Festival and athletes at sports tournaments.
Along with being asked to approve the demolition expense at its next meeting this Tuesday, council will have the opportunity to direct staff to bring forward a design and potential cost of the new facility as part of its 2023 budget deliberations.
READ MORE: Mental health, opioid crisis pushing Penticton’s community safety to the brink
READ MORE: Penticton council looks to change shape of city’s future with 6 notices of motion