Demolition contract awarded

Dalhousie University has awarded the contract to demolish Memorial arena to Vector Demolition. The demolition is scheduled to begin August 6 with a targeted completion date of mid-October.

The site has been fenced and the university has removed items to be reused in other facilities. Remaining materials will be sorted during the de-construction process to divert over 80 per cent of the materials from the landfill.

Contractors are required to comply with provincial health and safety regulations. They will be responsible for complying with all HRM and provincial bylaws and laws, including the noise bylaw.

The decision to decommission the current arena was made after studying the benefits of renovating the existing structure. The analysis revealed there is no life-cycle cost advantage to renovating the older building. Building a new structure has similar life-cycle costs but will deliver many additional benefits, including better integration into the campus, a more sustainable facility and the creation of team and change rooms.

The university continues to explore options for a new arena and fitness facility, including options for where these facilities could be situated. A decision regarding the exact location of a new arena and fitness facility will be made later this fall. In the meantime, measures are being finalized to ensure varsity and intramural sports will continue as seamlessly as possible.