The main lobby is now open at Tecumseh Arena following months of repairs and renovations to refresh the site following a flood over a year ago.
In July 2023, significant rainfall resulted in a sewer backup inside the arena, which damaged the main lobby, public washrooms, administrative offices, dressing rooms, and the canteen.
As part of the work to repair the damage, the town reconfigured the entire lobby, moving the grand staircase off to the side to create more open space and new seating areas.
The canteen, which is now open, was also reconfigured; accessibility improvements were made, the dressing rooms and washrooms received a refresh, improvements to the community rooms, upgrades to the office space, water bottle refilling stations were installed, and lighting improvements were added.
The main lobby is now open at Tecumseh Arena after a multimillion dollar refresh to repair flood damage. The main staircase has also been moved. See what it looks like now and before in the thread below. ?@AM800CKLW? pic.twitter.com/it1R6OST4y
— Rusty Thomson (@RustyThomson800) December 19, 2024
Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara says his favourite part of the renovation is the lobby and the reconfigured staircase.
"I think that's the biggest piece is how it really opened up the main entranceway. Much more visibility, much more natural lighting. We've even had folks come in and say, 'When did you put the windows in?' The windows have always been here," he says.
Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara says the total cost of repairs is $3.2 million.
"Certain areas in the build, when you have a 25-30-year-old building, when you peel the onion a little bit, you find you need to deal with a few items. For all intents and purposes, $3.2 million did cover all of the damages and the refresh," he says.
The ice pads remained open during the work, and while the main lobby is now reopened, there is still some minor work that needs to be finished around the entire facility.
The arena is located at 12021 McNorton St., just behind Tecumseh Town Hall, off Lesperance Road.