Nearly five months after a roof over the Red Deer Lodge ballroom collapsed, plans are underway to rebuild with a new look sometime in 2012.
The Red Deer Lodge suffered extensive damage after excess snow caused the roof to cave in on Feb. 12. The Waskasoo ballroom, Piper Creek meeting room and foyer that separated the two rooms were hit.
About one-third of the ballroom measuring 10,000 square feet was damaged.
General manager John Mytz said on Monday that all necessary demolition has been done. A rebuilding plan is now being worked on until September or October.
The hotel just has a concrete pad where the ballroom and meeting room used to be.
Mytz said they are now looking to experts and consultants on what is most needed for the space.
It’s uncertain whether building expansion will be part of the equation.
As far as cost of damages, including business loss, that’s still being determined. Events originally scheduled for the hotel had to be moved to other sites following the collapse.
“Part of our business won’t come back because of the loss of the ballroom,” Mytz said. But hotel occupancy rates are very strong, indicative of an improving economy in Red Deer.
“We’re doing much better than we thought we would be,” he said. The hotel includes 233 rooms. During May and June, the hotel was achieving an average 55 per cent occupancy rate, and during the weekends, it gets busier, Mytz said.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com