The official phasing out of a huge part of Vernon’s history is now well underway.
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Related: Civic Arena demolition hits high gear
Related: Vernon Civic Arena decommissioning begins
The demolition of the building, which turned 80 in January, began last month with the front section being torn down.
The Morning Star went and filmed during the first few days of demolition and can be seen below:
Gary Polachek, of Dakota Reclmators Ltd., predicted the team would attack the main shell of the arena by the end of October.
So on Wednesday, Nov. 7 our reporter revisited the arena to see how far they have come over the past couple of weeks. Though the outside may not look much different, passersby can clearly hear the sound of an excavator hard at work inside the building.
Once the process is complete, the Civic Arena would no longer be used as an ice surface.
A year ago (November 2017), after reviewing numerous options, the city decided to pursue demolition of the Civic Arena, the oldest such facility in the Okanagan which opened in 1938.
Reports indicated that bringing the building into compliance with the Building Code to a basic shell building would be an estimated $11-12 million. New construction for the same basic shell facility would be $8-9 million. The estimates did not include any interior finishing or upgrades related to a future use. The city decided to rebuild.
Related: Civic Arena has played host to Vernon history
Related: City of Vernon responds to Civic Arena replacement comments
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