Bye-bye McMeeken: city starts process of replacing our least-favourite arena

Sault Ste. Marie City Council tonight authorized municipal staff to look into options for replacing the monumentally unpopular W.J. McMeeken Centre.

John Stevenson from the Toronto office of LeisurePlan International Inc. recommended replacing the 51-year-old structure that Ward 1 Councillor Steve Butland calls "an unmitigated disaster."

"It's like an outdoor rink that has a roof," Councillor Butland bellyached. "The only difference is that the roof leaks."

Butland said the McMeeken once had the Sault's best ice, but the deteriorating facility is a far cry from what it used to be.

Stevenson, who was retained by the city to conduct an ice utilization study, determined that potential demand for indoor ice over the next 20 years will warrant construction of a new twin-pad municipal arena.

The motion passed by City Council tonight calls for recommendations on options for expanding city's current stock of ice rinks, including costs and prospects for financing.

Mayor Christian Provenzano emphasized that "we're not deciding to build a rink tonight" but simply exploring options for replacing the W.J. McMeeken Centre.

There's been talk about building additional soccer pitches as a part of any new hockey arena and the city is expected to draw on design work previously done for the Northern Community Centre.