The Civic Centre could soon be home to a new removable floor.
The announcement was made last month by the Nelson Regional Sports Council at council’s committee of the whole meeting.
“It would make a big difference for the bottom line because we would have the civic operational year round,” said the sports council’s executive director, Kim Palfenier.
The removable floor which could be used at the Civic is a rubberized sports floor that would be laid over one or two layers of plywood.
“We’re still working on the logistics of just how that’s going to work,” said Palfenier.
Because of the Civic’s unique refrigeration system which is in the sand floor, council needs to look at how the removable floor would be used without damaging the refrigeration.
“We will not do anything that will jeopardize that structure because without that we won’t have refrigeration,” said Palfenier.
The removable floor is being investigated after groups like roller derby approached the sports council.
“They are first and foremost, but when they’re not using it it could be a basketball court, a volleyball court, lacrosse, floor hockey, it could be anything,” said Palfenier.
Aside from the protection of the Civic’s refrigeration system, another issue council needs to address is storage of the floor.
“If you’ve got an arena-sized floor that stacks up, what does that look like on a pallet? And how many pallets? And how high and how wide? If you’ve got one layer of that and two layers of plywood, my God you’d need another arena to store the floor,” said Palfenier.
Council proposed that the city clean out the ramp near Hall Street — which Palfenier said is full of junk — so that the removable floor could be stored there.
The floor could cost as much as $50,000 with an additional $30,000 for the plywood sub floors.
“We would apply for grants,” said Palfenier. “If you can make an income out of a project it’s usually looked at favourably and often they will grant you if not all of it, some of it.”
The sports council operates the Civic Centre on behalf of the City.