Consultants will be taking a closer look at the Elgar Petersen Arena after shifting concrete slab identified. (Image Credit: Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW)

By Cam Lee

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The City of Humboldt is expanding the scope of a review into the Elgar Petersen Arena. 

Last year, Council approved the replacement of the arena refrigeration system, with many of the components original to the building. 

Director of Community and Leisure Services Michael Ulriksen told northeastNOW that consultants undertook a full review of the facility. 

That included ensuring the proper equipment would be installed that would work for the building, with the understanding that there could be the possibility of adding a second ice surface, or to allow the plant to be moved to another location should the need come. 

“We want to make sure that those were…factored into the decision, so they did a full review for us of the facility,” Ulriksen said. 

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However, there were additional issues discovered during that process. The consultant discovered shifting on the concrete slab in the arena. It was then recommended to City Administration that the consultants do a full structural review of both the slab and the rest of the facility. 

“Just to make sure that we weren’t going to put a new ice plant into something that might cause us more issues in the short term or in the long term,” Ulriksen said. “We went to Council with that recommendation and that approach that we should just expand the scope of our design and our engineering and structural review, so that we could make sure the bones and the structure of the Uniplex were in good shape and to further examine the issues we’re having with the slab.” 

Ulriksen said if everything checks out and there are no further issues, they will have a more informed plan going forward and the refrigeration system upgrade would proceed. If the review unearths other problems, Ulriksen said at least the City will have that information to make a more informed decision. 

Humboldt continues to grow in population, and that is expected to continue with BHP’s Jansen mine and other local developments. Ulriksen said as Humboldt grows, the need for a second ice surface will become even greater.  

“What options we have and what that looks like, whether that’s building new, whether that’s adding on to the [existing] building, those items have been talked about at one point or another.” 

Council approved the larger assessment of the arena, and the City has been in contact with the consultant, at a cost of up to $70,000. Ulriksen said they hope to have the work begin in the spring. The goal is to have the review complete by late spring or early summer.  

“There is a big lead time when it comes to things like this refrigeration system, and then if there is any other work that needs to get done, obviously the sooner we have that information the sooner we can take steps on anything else as well.” 

The state of the concrete slab is vital to knowing what the next step could be. Ulriksen said if the issues with the slab are extensive, that means a lot more money, and that could affect whether repair would be the right decision for the community now and into the future. 

“We’ve got to make sure that we’re investing into our facility, because it’s the right move for the community.” 

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com