By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Phase 1 of Crossings Leisure Complex Set to Open Next Month

May 12, 2016 | 3:51 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The city is putting the finishing touches on Phase 1 of the Crossings Leisure Complex in west Lethbridge.

After more than two years of construction, the first public bookings for the twin ice surfaces are set for June 6, with the curling rink set to open in September.

The facility features two NHL size ice rinks, multi-purpose spaces, offices for Lethbridge Minor Hockey and the Lethbridge Figure Skating Club, a 10 sheet curling rink complete with a full kitchen and lounge, and three gender neutral washrooms.

Recreation and Culture Facility Operations Manager, Robin Harper, noted that an important feature of the facility is the open layout with plenty of viewing areas.

“We wanted to make sure that people entering the building could see what was happening and what the activity was,” explained Harper. “We visited a couple other facilities like that and we thought that was a great idea. Speaking to some of the groups that were actually in those spaces, it actually helped with the interest in their organizations and their clubs for the public to be able to see what was happening in the building.”

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Harper stated that they also built the facility with sustainability in mind, pointing out that they’re able to recapture waste heat from the ice plant.

“There’s a lot of heat that’s generated when the ice plant is running, we’ve taken some of that heat and we’ve used it to heat the concrete under the bleacher seating, as well as the change room floors in the dressings rooms and the change room floors in the curling rink.”

Going forward, the facility will be the go-to arena in Lethbridge for hosting tournaments, with its weekend schedule always being left open to accommodate them. In the past any time a tournament came to Lethbridge several user groups would lose their ice times, something that won’t happen with the new arrangement.

Meantime, construction will begin soon on the Aquatic and Leisure Centre component in Phase 2.