Ontario Construction News staff writer
Niagara Falls is taking a shot at scoring funding for sports and library renovations through a federal-provincial program announced last summer. The estimated value of refurbishing 39 tennis and basketball courts is about $3.6 million.
The municipality is submitting a funding request to the Chippawa Willoughby Memorial Arena and Chippawa library branch addition to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
The federal and provincial governments announced in late August the Community, Culture and Recreation stream of the program will accept applications until Nov. 12.
Under the terms of the program, the federal government will fund up to 40 per cent of the cost, the province up to 33 per cent and the municipality 26.67 per cent for projects that “improve access to and/or quality of community, cultural and recreation priority infrastructure projects. Successful projects must be completed before 2027/28.
Improvements at the arena and building an addition for a library branch in the building will cost about $8 million and would include replacing concrete floor pad, boards and glass, the Niagara Falls Review reports.
According to a staff report, “the emergence of new ice user groups, such as girls’ hockey and sledge hockey” require improvements to the arena. Renovations to the Chippawa library will also include adding an event room, additional dressing rooms and improvements to the referee rooms.
The Niagara Falls Library board reviewed the current condition of the Chippawa library branch and found it to be inadequate and inaccessible.