Kamloops city council is poised to approve a finalized arena multiplex project that’s now $14 million more expensive than previously projected.
The municipality plans to build the facility on a city-owned lot at 2070 Hillside Dr. in Dufferin as part of its Build Kamloops initiative.
At its regular meeting Tuesday, council will be asked to approve the scope and budget of a two-storey multiplex with three NHL-sized ice sheets, a mini-rink and new library space.
According to a staff memo prepared for the meeting, that budget is now $168.1 million, up from the previously projected $154 million.
The figure was confirmed following a seven-month validation process that began with an initial $140-million budget allocation plus $9 million in contingencies. During the process, the memo said, “it became clear that the project would require either a reduced scope or an increased budget.”
Staff presented a phased approach to the project to the Build Kamloops select committee in April 2026. In July, following a closed meeting, the council committee opted for the $168-million option now up for approval.
Other options included $161.6 million for just the three NHL-sized rinks, a fourth full-sized ice sheet projected at $20.1 million and a full-sized outdoor ice sheet for $14.4 million. The memo said those added rinks could be considered in future phases of Build Kamloops alongside the planned removal of Memorial Arena that is making way for a new curling facility.
The city needs to acquire nearby provincial land for the $168-million option, but the process is underway and isn’t expected to delay construction, which is set to begin this fall.
Not all funding found yet
The city has secured $153.5 million toward the project — $125 million in approved borrowing following an alternative approval process, $4.5 million from the TNRD for the library, $20 million in donations and $4 million in reserves.
It still needs $6.5 million to account for the mini-rink and is $8.1 million short of completing the project’s three-sheet base.
The $8.1 million won’t be needed until 2029-30, giving staff time to plan, but adding the fourth, fifth and/or mini-rink to the project “will require strategic decision-making,” the memo said. “Recent funding decisions for other major projects have committed reserves that may otherwise have been available,” the memo said.
The memo said that since the project was announced, “external factors have placed pressure on the overall budget.”
The city has previously cited rising costs, project delays and added features among the reasons for budget increases.
Staff plan to bring forward the facility’s operating costs at a later date.
PAC coming in under budget
Meanwhile, the other major Build Kamloops project — the downtown performing arts centre— is currently tracking about $5 million under its current budget.
The $211-million Kamloops Centre for the Arts, at Seymour Street and Fourth Avenue, saw its budget previously increase from $166 million last fall before construction began.
Another city memo says the new savings are the result of tenders coming in, collectively, below budget for elevators, the orchestra lift, excavation and shoring, foundations, the tower crane and concrete.
As for the project progress to date, high-risk unencumbrance, excavation and shoring are complete, and foundation work is set to begin as the project moves into the initial stages of building construction.
Upcoming tenders include concrete slab finishing, waterproofing, sound isolation, power distribution, lighting, mass timber, structural steel, HVAC, plumbing and acoustic treatments.