Calgary's Rose Kohn and Jimmie Condon arenas reopen after $12.5M upgrade

The Rose Kohn/Jimmie Condon arenas located at 502 Heritage Drive S.W. in Calgary.

The City of Calgary is celebrating the reopening of the Rose Kohn and Jimmie Condon arenas, which were closed for a $12.5 million upgrade.

The project was completed on time and on budget, according to officials.

The upgrade included the expansion of the ice size at the Jimmy Cordon arena, the replacement of two existing refrigeration system with a single refrigeration system to improve energy efficiency, the addition of accessible change rooms and the quadrupling of spectator seating.

Also included was the addition of new accessible public washrooms, meeting rooms, a multipurpose room, improved energy efficient lighting and equipment, flooring improvements and new exterior finishing.

“The upgrades to Rose Kohn and Jimmie Condon arenas are a welcome improvement to a key community gathering place," said Mayor Jyoti Gondek in a Friday news release.

"Recreation centres provide a refuge for people to work on their physical, mental, and emotional health and I'm pleased to see ongoing investments being made."

The city says the Rose Kohn and Jimmie Condon arenas had not undergone significant renovations since they were originally built in 1968 and 1983 respectively.

Area councillor Kourtney Penner says investing in the upgrades of civic facilities is important for many reasons.

"Ensuring all areas of the city have modernized facilities supports our goals of active and complete neighbourhoods. I know Calgarians are proud of our recreation services and I hope to join users for a skate in the near future," Penner said.

To celebrate the reopening, the city is inviting Calgarians to attend a free public skate at the Jimmie Condon Arena on April 9, from 5 to 7 p.m.