Once the old Civic Ice Centre is gone, how will the city redevelop the land?

It's a little early to debate that question, a city official says. While the Lethbridge Curling Club will be moving to a new westside facility in 2015, there's been no decision yet to level the 62-year-old building downtown.

If that happens, however, it could put new life into a site development plan dating back to the city's earliest days. And the high-traffic property where the ice centre now stands, on Stafford Drive at 6 Avenue South, could become a beauty spot near the heart of the city.

Ashley Matthews, the city's recreation and culture manager, presided earlier this week at a press conference announcing a $10-million federal grant in support of a new curling club - plus two hockey rinks boasting NHL-size ice sheets - to be built near the new library and high schools at the west end of Whoop-Up Drive.

The present facilities, a 1950s-style hockey arena and a 10-sheet curling rink, will be maintained for the next few years. But engineers will be asked to report on their life expectancy, Matthews says.

And while the city may decide to keep its oldest hockey rink running, he doesn't think the curling club will want to operate facilities on both sides of the river. Matthews says a decision on the hockey ice should consider current and projected needs for a downtown rink, along with the condition of the building itself.

Neighbours across 6 Avenue, forced to deal with overflow parking, may be pleased to see the curling club move. But next door at the Lethbridge YMCA, officials say they'd like to see the adjacent park and sports field preserved or expanded - and say they don't need the extra land.

"We added 5,000 square feet in 2007," says Richard Hebert, the executive director. "And 30 parking stalls."

The Y stands on city-owned land, he says. But it has a lease running until 2066.

In fact, the city owns most of the land in the historic "civic block," which actually runs two blocks east from Stafford to 11 Street, and two blocks from 4 to 6 Avenue South. The only exceptions, Matthews says, are provincial land at the corner with the old court house, and federal land with the 1955-vintage RCMP building.

The "superblock" once housed RCMP barracks and stables, but it's become the favoured site for civic facilities since the Second World War. The ice centre, opened in 1949, was followed by the previous City Hall and the court house. Then came the Fritz Sick Memorial Sports Centre, in 1955, followed by the Yates theatre in 1966 - the same year an outdoor pool was built adjoining the Fritz Sick.

The pool was later enclosed, and several additions have been made to the Fritz Sick over the years to accommodate the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization. The smaller Sterndale Bennett Theatre was also added to the Yates.

But the civic precinct's biggest change came in 2000, with the opening of a new City Hall. About the same time, an architectural firm prepared a master plan for the area. It included extra parking and an ornamental "urban park" on the land's southeast corner.

That's currently the site of a soccer field and a 440-yard running track. But Matthews says since a new track and football facility was opened on university land, followed by construction of a multiple sports field facility near the new high schools, fewer people are using the old Civic Centre field.

"Usage is a lot different than it was five years ago," he reports.

Maybe it's time for that "urban" beauty spot.

"We need to sit down and have a good look," Matthews says. "A study needs to be done, looking at the whole block."

At the farthest corner from the old ice centre, Rob Miyashiro says representatives of the seniors' association have met occasionally with city planners to discuss the superblock's future. Executive director at the seniors' centre, Miyashiro says they'd be happy to resume that conversation.

What's needed most, he says, is more parking. When there are simultaneous events at the Yates, the Sterndale Bennett, the Fritz Sick pool and gym - or one of the downtown churches across the street - there's little or no space for LSCO members.

The city could redevelop the old track area - and later, the ice centre property - with shady gardens and walkways, he suggests.

"And maybe some underground parking."

Funds providing, Lethbridge first skateboard park could be built next summer.

But there's no plan to charge users, a city official says.

The city's community services director, Bary Beck says 27 sites have been identified as possible locations for the active-use facility. Now they're being evaluated, he told city council on Monday.

The list is expected to be shortened later this month, after the merits and drawbacks of each are considered.

A report will go to council early in the new year, he said.

The skateboard park had been proposed for a site adjacent to the Nicholas Sheran pool and arena, but adjacent neighbours did not agree.

If a suitable location is proposed and accepted, Beck said construction could start in the spring, with completion by next fall.

No funds are currently allocated for that work, he warned. But proponents of the facility have talked about fund-raising efforts.

City officials understand there are about 1,000 residents who'd likely use the park, Beck added.

It's not expected they'd be charged to the park, he said. While city council in Calgary has talked about building nearly 50 parks over the next 10 years - and charging users to help offset the estimated $11 million cost - Beck said Lethbridge would provide them in the same way as playgrounds.

"People would use them on a drop-in basis"

City council is answering concerns over the latest twist in plans for a new skate board park. Aldermen say their search for a location hit a snag when neighbours flooded them with negative feedback about tentative plans to try and build it near Nicholas Sheran Park.

"I'm going by the number of emails and phone calls, and there have been a lot," Ald. Liz Iwaskiw told Country 95 News. "Because of the internet, people don't need to go to a meeting. They can send me an email at 2 a.m. And we get a lot of feedback that way." Iwaskiw says she personally received at least 10 such calls and emails about the Nicholas Sheran location, and council in total received about 34.

Council went on-record with the issue Monday after significant backlash in social media that questioned city administration's decision to scrap a hired consultant's suggestion for two possible local sites for the park. The Lethbridge Skateboard Association (LSA) itself said publicly it was "disappointed" with an email it got last week from city staff that said they wanted to find a location that wasn't near a neighbourhood. LSA president Peter Barry said if they do go with a location in an industrial or commercial area, it will be too hard for kids to access.

"They continually keep getting promises made to them by city administration and then those promises keep getting broken," said Barry of the user group he represents. "It's kind of like telling them Christmas isn't going to be coming this year, and then pulling it away." His group and local skateboarders have advocated for a new park for about 10 years.

Meanwhile, council maintains the latest turn in events doesn't mean they want to scrap the project entirely. They say the consultant left them a tool that will help them grade which locations throughout the city will work best - and they plan to use it. "The City of Lethbridge absolutely wants to build a skateboard park, but we want to do it properly," said Iwaskiw.