Track Club Takes Masich Place Concerns To Council
Prince George, B.C. – The Prince George Track and Field Club will be making a presentation at tonight’s regular meeting of Prince George city council, noting the celebration of the club’s 40th year of existence and bringing concerns about the state of the city’s premier stadium to the attention of council members.
Masich Place Stadium was completed in 1990 but there are two major concerns with the soon-to-be 24-year-old facility, and those issues will be brought forward by club President Brian Martinson and past-president Tom Masich. First and foremost is the condition of the 400 metre track and secondly is the future of the infield. The track was re-surfaced in 2000 and while industry representatives have told the club that it should be done every ten years, it’s now closing in on fourteen years since that initial re-surfacing took place. Tears and holes are starting to appear in some spots and those same industry reps are saying that if the job is put off much longer that track will have to be totally rebuilt, and that would double the cost of a re-surfacing.
Martinson and Masich plan to ask council to amend the 2014 Capital Plan to allow for re-surfacing this year, at a cost of between 400 and 500-thousand-dollars. A complete re-build of the track, which would involve replacing the foundation as well as the track, would come in at about $1 million.
On the second item, the Track and Field Club along with user groups such as UNBC Athletics, football and soccer organizations, are concerned with the state of the infield at Masich Place. The track club is proposing that the City and the user groups get together and discuss the long-term plans for fixing up the infield, which is falling into disrepair with a chewed up natural surface, weeds and a barely functional irrigation system. There is some suggestion within the city that the infield be replaced with artificial turf that would extend the beginning and end of the sports seasons and would stand up much better to winter weather.
Comments
What does it cost to use the track?
I am sure that city council will find money for this over snow removal or other needed services.
Axeman as far as I know it doesn’t cost anyting to use the track , maybe it should?
it might for large functions….
Forget it – theres only money for hockey and golf ;)
The track club does not know how lucky they are. See the city is has backed off on proper upkeep so that in a few years disrepair will be to the point a new facility will have to be built. Some developer will get the present location for a song. A new facility will then be built for tens of millions. Think cop shop.
Interceptor. Your right. There seems to be an inordinate amount of money for Hockey and Golf in this town. The PGGolf and Curling Club gets a $147,000.00 per year tax exemption from the City, and in addition they will have their building upgraded to the tune of $800,000.00 ostensibly for the Winter Games, and the Tennis Club. Furthermore the City sold them some property on the cheap for their driving range, which they have now sold for a pretty profit, so they are laughing all the way to the bank.
On the other hand, Pine Valley Golf course which generates sufficient revenue to be self supporting and would have generated a lot more, if the City had not sold off their driving range, gets very little funding from the City.
Seems those people who have connections can get some pretty good deals in this town. Think PAC.
All too common theme these days be it municipalities or companies. Shut it down now to perform maintenance and save half a million, or run it into the ground and rebuild the entire thing….
Guess which one most choose? Yup….run her into the ground.
I often wonder just how smart some of these pencil pushers in upper management are…..
Posted by: bcracer on January 20 2014 10:02 AM
Axeman as far as I know it doesn’t cost anyting to use the track , maybe it should?
it might for large functions….
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Maybe it should. That’s a pretty expensive track to provide for free.
I’d be shocked if they didn’t charge to use the track for organized functions? What about Minor Football? Would they not have to pay to use the field? What are the total subsidized costs per year and how do they compare to other facilities like tennis courts, ice rinks, ball diamonds, the fields at rotary, etc?
IMHO, $400K every 10 years seems pretty cheap to me to have a track like that in PG. Other than the Northern Sports Centre, I think it’s the only surfaced track facility in the city. I’m not even sure if there is another track suitable for hosting events. Perhaps some of the high schools have dirt or gravel tracks now, I’m honestly not sure.
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