I am writing about the dispute between the
Indoor Soccer Centre and the City of Greater Sudbury. As one of
the volunteers who sits on the Indoor Centre board forcing us
to move from the Falconbridge location to Barrydowne Arena is
not a good idea for soccer in the city.
The bottom line is Barrydowne Arena is not
suitable for indoor soccer. The roof is too low and the surface
is too small. The engineering report that was commissioned by
the soccer centre shows that a tremendous amount of money needs
to be spent to bring the arena up to building and safety code
for use as an indoor soccer centre, plus the cost of building a
new spectator viewing area.
Who will pay for all the repairs, renovation,
and upgrades totaling an estimated $400,000?
The history of the Barrydowne Arena is the
same as the Falconbridge Arena. They are both outdoor rinks
with a roof, great facilities for hockey, but not suitable for
indoor soccer. The city should let the indoor centre stay where
it is, and the hockey community be given the opportunity to
reopen the
Barrydowne Arena as a hockey facility.
As far as the outstanding debt, the board has
made great strides in bringing the balance down each year, and
we as a soccer community always pay our bills.
The Ontario Soccer Association is using our
indoor facility to train soccer players from Sault Ste. Marie,
Sudbury, North Bay and Timmins as it meets their requirements
as an indoor soccer facility.
If we are forced to move, we will lose this
program. The indoor board has been very diligent in renting out
this facility to help cover our costs which are never
ending.
Also, we are the only sports organization in
our city that has to pay rent 24/7, 365 days a year.
The city's subsidy of $25,000 per year toward
the centre's rent is a small amount to pay in relation to the
overall good that the indoor soccer community brings to the
taxpayers of our city - recreation, tourism, and a place for
citizens young and old to stay healthy.
Roberto Armiento
Sudbury