Nustadia Recreation Inc. took over operation for Pitt Meadows Arena last week as upgrades continue at the rink.
The company, which operates seven facilities across Canada, has hired Ray Boogaards as the arena’s new general manager and is currently negotiating with a major franchise to operate the concession.
Parks and Leisure Services recreation manager Don Cramb said Nustadia staff will meet with user groups within the next month.
“There are going to be changes with a new operator in place,” he added.
Unforeseen repairs to shore up piles under the arena delayed completion of the first phase of the arena upgrade and have driven up construction costs to $6.8 million from a previous $5.3 million.
The arena’s leaky roof is almost fixed, with just 10 per cent of the surface left to patch up.
Construction of a new front entrance to the 80,000 square foot complex has already begun, while seismic cross-bracing has been installed in the Red, Blue and Gold rinks.
Work on the sanitary sewer line has also started and dressing rooms will soon be shutting down as crews take over to install new plumbing.
The Red Rink will close from July to September to speed up the pace of construction.
Cramb said if construction crews don’t run into surprises, the project will be completed before the end of the year.