Construction of Lacombe Athletic Park will be delayed as developers await approval of a $1-million federal grant.
Work was expected to start in the summer on the $3-million facility that will include the EnCana Field House with dressing rooms, a concession, washrooms, equipment storage and a tower for officials, coaches and media.
“We’re looking at doing servicing for the building, sewage and utilities, in November and actual construction of the field house building in the spring as soon as the snow is gone,” said Troy GIllard, alumni chair with the Lacombe Athletic Park committee.
A rubberized running track and artificial turf field should be installed sometime next year.
The committee has applied for a Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RInC) grant.
Sea containers are currently being used as makeshift locker rooms for teams at the existing field at Lacombe Composite High School, which will also be the site of the new park.
“We can’t really start on it right now because the football season is underway,” Gillard said.
The delay will also allow fundraising efforts to continue. People can purchase seating plaques for $250 each.
Plaques will decorate the park’s 1,300 new bleacher seats.
So far about $700,000 has been raised in cash and work in kind.
Gillard said the new park will impact the lives of a lot of young athletes.
“There’s 150 kids now playing minor football in Lacombe. We’ve got about 800 or so minor soccer players in the Lacombe area so there’s 1,000 kids right there.”
For more information go to www.lacombeathleticpark.ca
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com