Gerry Corrigan says the current dressing rooms at Centre 2000 are “woefully undersized” and the town should address the problem as soon as possible.
“There’s no bigger bang for your buck than upgrading the Erin arena,” Corrigan said.
As general manager of the Erin Shamrocks, he noted said the current four dressing rooms are far too small for the club, let alone some minor teams.
He said the town “missed the boat” when building the facility a decade ago, because most newer arenas have at least five large dressing rooms.
He proposes an addition of three large dressing rooms and said the town would be responsible for building the rooms and showers themselves, while an application for an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant could be made for benches, heaters and flooring.
Town manager Lisa Hass said a very preliminary estimate – for just the “basics” of an addition measuring 105 by 25 feet – is $200,000 to $250,000.
Mayor Rod Finnie said if the town is considering changes to the arena, it should first inquire about anything else the facility is lacking.
Councillor Barb Tocher said council should talk to facility manager Graham Smith on the topic. Council unanimously passed a resolution to include the addition of three new arena dressing rooms in 2009 budget discussions.
