New plans look good

After fielding some tough questions from residents last spring, the architects have literally gone back to the drawing board and come up with a significantly altered plan for the proposed new facility on the site of the current arena and pool.

Supporters of the alternate idea of moving the whole project down the street to the Westmount Athletic Grounds behind Westmount High School will no doubt be disappointed, for the new plans have nothing to do with relocation. In fact, they are dedicated to using the existing site to a much better advantage than originally planned.

There are several new amendments to the original plans. The two rinks are now housed in separate buildings that are linked underground, the pool been moved to the east, facing the apartments on Academy Road, and the 90-car underground garage entrance is now on Lansdowne Avenue.

Yes, the second rink is still 15 feet shorter than the first, and these new plans have retained many of the original features, but on the whole it is certainly safe to say that those who peruse the large-scale renderings of the proposed complex on Saturday are likely to come away with a better feeling about the project.

Of course not everyone will be amused; there are those who question the huge expenditure, those who worry about increased traffic in an already congested area, and those who don't want the project at all. These people cannot be expected to be impressed by anything the architects come up with.

But having taken a close preview of the newest set of plans earlier this week — I must admit I was initially sceptical, not quite ready to believe that such a large project could be overhauled so drastically in such a short period — I'm sure everyone would agree that the look, feel, and configuration of this phase is a definite improvement on what we were shown in the spring.