Kamloops council has given its approval to a nearly $170 million dollar budget to build — what could just be the start — of the long-discussed Arena Multiplex in Dufferin.

At the same time, council is also collectively beaming amid word the long-controversial Kamloops Centre for the Arts isn’t becoming any more of a liability — both financial and political — for those on council  who supported its forward momentum.

In a revelation that should be welcome news for taxpayers, a new staff memo updating City Council on the progress being made on the Arts Centre shows that construction is around $5 million under budget thus far.

Those savings are being largely attributed to tender packages coming in lower than expected, as well as the process the City is using to build the Arts Centre, which is to keep ahead of any major price spikes or fluctuations through what’s known as the Integrated Project Delivery model.

As the City works through that process, and reports running into very little in the way of unforeseen problems as the pit grew deeper and deeper, with the City noting that — despite suggestions to the contrary — that they were well prepared for what was likely to wait for them below.

“When the City began the validation process in February 2024, it immediately commissioned a detailed ground survey, geotechnical investigation, and off-site and on-site civil engineering work, which was needed to validate and design the project to a high degree of certainty,” said the City on its Let’s Talk page.

That Let’s Talk Page now includes staff time being spent debunking mis-information campaigns that are being nurtured through social media, including suggestions the the grade of the hill the foundation is cut out of wasn’t understood and has set the project over budget, and on a collision course with potential flooding.

“The Kamloops Centre for the Arts facility has a complex pedestal comprising the foundations, parkade, and below-grade elements that support the superstructure,” noted the City in its myth-busting efforts on its website.   “This part of the project poses the greatest risk and is a key focus area in the design.”

The City argues a lot of thought went into how the below-ground portion of the project was going to work.

“The superstructure’s footprint consumes a very large area and is filled with large, open spans designed to support and optimize theatre performance,” said the City.  “This requires highly complex construction with significant implications for the building’s below-grade components.”

“These elements—now fully detailed in the comprehensive design package completed during the validation/design process—include provisions for managing conditions below the water table,” added the City.

Artists rendering of the Kamloops Centre for the Arts/via Station One Architects 

The City’s Infrastructure Delivery Divisional Manager Matt Kachel has told Radio NL now that they’ve gotten past the high-risk excavation phase of the project without any major snags, the next step people will notice is the actual shell of the building start to take shape.

“Starting to build the tower crane and get prepared to put the footings in, and then we’ll start building our way out of that hole,” said Kachel. “The crews totally switch, the drilling and shoring and excavation crew they’ll leave and then the steel workers and concrete trades will come in and start their part.”

As they are doing that, a report before Council on Tuesday suggests the lack of any major hurdles or headaches in digging through the foundation of what was once The Hudson’s Bay building, and later the Kamloops Daily News building, has saved the project about $5 million in expected costs.

Cost estimates for Arena Multiplex unveiled

Overview of Arena Multiplex facility off Hillside Drive in Dufferin/via City of Kamloops

Up the hill from the Arts Centre location in the Dufferin area, the City of Kamloops is now able to put out a more firm budget for the creation of the Arena Multiplex off of Hillside Drive near KRCC.

It’s base budget for a facility which will initially include three NHL-sized ice surfaces, on top of a space for the TNRD’s ever-expanding library services, is $161.6 million.

However, there are options to expand beyond that if the City council so chooses.

• Base Program (3 NHL-sized ice sheets): $161.6 million
• Recommended Program (3 NHL-sized + 1 mini rink): $168.1 million
• Future State (Indoor 5-sheet): $188.2 million

The site itself is going to butt up against Kenna Cartwright Park, which means part of it is being carved into the side of the hill to ensure that when the ice surface is flooded, the water doesn’t pool up at one end.

But Matt Kachel with the City says that doesn’t mean it has to be cut down to the same elevation as Hillside Drive.

“People have given me the impression that they think we’re basically cutting that site down to the road level,” noted the Infrastructure Manager.   “What’s happening is the road’s gonna rise up and it’ll ramp up into the site a bit.”

“We’ve gotta cut some stuff down and level it out, but we’re not taking all that dirt out of there,” pointed out Kachel.

In the staff memo to Kamloops Council, there is still an expectation of ground being broken on the actual facility’s construction sometime this year.

Through its Integrated Project Delivery Model, the City of Kamloops expects to save roughly 8% on construction for the Multiplex.

The city has secured $153.5 million in funding for the base project so far, comprised of $125 million in debt, $20 million in donations, $4 million from reserves, and $4.5 million from the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library.

The memo notes the remaining $8.1 million required to complete the base program will not be needed until 2029, providing staff with flexibility as to when it wants to secure the funds, as there is the potential for lower interest rates and cheaper borrowing before now and then.