Humboldt issues Expression of Interest for proposed rec centre initiative

“What we’ve done with this Expression of Interest is basically take that first big step to say ‘we know we need to do an infrastructure project in order to meet these gaps,'” Ulriksen said. “We know that it’s going to be a major project for this community to take on, and we don’t just want to do it with the expertise we have around the table, we want to make sure that we’re bringing all minds, all thoughts, all experiences to the table so that we can understand how to approach this major project.”

Ulriksen said the EOI document essentially states where the City is in the project and what the community is looking for, and asks people with expertise in areas like fundraising, sponsorship, finance, design, construction, and facility operations with interest in the project to reach out to the City.

“We hope that that information combined will help guide us forward and maybe open up some doors to things we didn’t know were possible, or projects that we weren’t aware of, to help shape a sustainable, deliverable project to our community in a timely manner.”

The EOI is a big step for the City to gather information, according to Ulriksen, and will hopefully inform how Humboldt proceeds in the future. He said the EOI is purposefully broad in order not to exclude anyone that may have interest or expertise to add to the project.

“We’ve talked to lots of companies in the past [that] are very specific with their focus – they deliver products for ice rinks, or they deliver products for courts, or they’re in the performing arts space. So even companies like that, that are very specific, we’re interested in hearing from.”

Ulriksen said they are also interested in hearing from companies that can design sponsorship programs and fundraising opportunities, design firms that have experience and know the do’s and don’ts of similar projects, architects, engineers, and other experts.

“Maybe open our eyes to projects that are unique and innovative that we might not have otherwise thought of, because we’re not approaching this project as a ‘cookie-cutter, the same way we’ve always done it for years [attitude]’, and that extends to the operations side.”

Humboldt’s Administrative team also has connections with other municipalities across the country, and Ulriksen said communities like Martensville, Prince Albert, Meadow Lake, Weyburn, and Swift Current have undergone or are undergoing similar projects. He said that communication should also help Humboldt.

The EOI is open until Aug. 27, though Ulriksen said they won’t exclude anyone that comes to the table down the road.

Companies can learn more and submit their interest through SaskTenders.

“We’re really excited as a community to get the ball rolling on this project. It’s been a long time in coming.”

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

by Cam Lee

Humboldt issues Expression of Interest for proposed rec centre initiative

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