Collapsed Fairview Arena won't be replaced at its current location, city says

The Fairview Arena won't rise again on its southeast Calgary lot, the city says a year after the roof caved in.

The City of Calgary says its current practice is to erect multi-sheet arenas that can accommodate other fitness amenities.

The site of the Fairview Arena, 8038 Fairmount Drive S.E., isn't big enough to do this, Calgary Recreation acting director James McLaughlin said in a statement Wednesday.

The arena's roof collapsed on Feb. 20, 2018. No one was injured. It was later demolished.

An engineering firm presented a report to the city last week that identified multiple reasons for the collapse. However, the city has not said publicly what those were, and has requested a further assessment.

CBC News has asked the city to reveal the exact causes.

Neighbouring group worried

The lack of detail has worried the Indefinite Arts Centre, a group that ran programs for more than 300 artists and their families in a building that was attached to the rink.

The centre continues to hold activities in the building, despite the fact the front end of the complex, which held the rink, has been sliced off.

CEO Jung-Suk Ryu says the centre's building was given a green-light for safety, as was the Fairview Arena, shortly before the roof collapsed. He worries his building, which is leased from the city, may have some of the same issues.

"I think we'd like some clarity. The building has also turned into a tremendous eyesore," Ryu said Wednesday.

He said they're no longer confident the regular life-cycle and safety inspections can catch all potential issues in the more than 45-year-old building.

Indefinite Arts Centre would like to construct a new building, Ryu said, but it has yet to secure public funding.

The group has proposed a $20-million facility that could be an arts hub for artists and audiences with disabilities. It could also house other organizations that provide art-related work to people with developments and physical disabilities.

The city will be assessing its ice rink needs, Calgary Roads said, and residents in the neighbourhood around the Fairview Arena will be consulted about the future of the site.

The arena was built in 1972 and served many community groups, includingFairviewWomen's Hockey Arena Society.