To the editor:
First of all who builds a state-of-the-art sports complex and has no change rooms?
I would like to know why they were not built. Was it because of cost overruns on the project so council could approve it? How much were the actual costs of developing that land?
There is something wrong here.
Why are not portable classrooms considered? They are cheap and can be adapted to change rooms at a lot less cost than new ones in the arena. Was the future arena part of the plan back then when it all started?
Secondly, the proposed new arena in the middle of nowhere (for now) is to be built with a new padded track. Why? What is the extra cost for that track?
Remember we have the arena and YMCA to handle our walkers. Why compete against them? We also have two other arenas that are taking care of our present needs. Why not upgrade these two arenas? Even build a new one adjacent to the present West Ferris Arena.
Who stands to lose if the arena is not built there in the long run? Again it will be the taxpayers. So many delays in the past to the point where it is now $80m. to build. Going up every day that we wait.
Finally, let’s go back and determine if we want a Taj Mahal as an arena or just a functional well-built arena. Going back to the drawing board and trimming some costs off the total costs would certainly help.
Roger Major
North Bay
