The Municipality of the County of Richmond is hosting a series of open houses to review the proposed design and get feedback on a multi-use facility feasibility study. 
Shannon Mury, director of community development and recreation for Richmond, said the idea for a new recreation facility came about several years ago. She explained a building assessment took place on the Richmond Arena which noted several repairs were required to the building. After discussion between council and staff, council allocated funds to carry out a feasibility study, the purpose of which was to evaluate and anticipate any service needs, associated costs, and opportunities for improvements to help the county decided whether or not they should proceed with a facility development. She said the county only owns one recreation facility, the Richmond Arena, which is 48 years old.
Once the meetings are done, the consultants will present their final findings to staff and council, who will then determine their next steps. Mury said they could hear back from the consultants in early February.
The three meetings are set for later this month. One is at Scratch Eats market on January 16 from 11:30-1:30 p.m., another at the Richmond Arena on January 16 from 7-9 p.m., and the Farmer’s Pantry on January 17, from 9:45-11:45 a.m.. The What We Heard document can be found at www.richmondcounty.ca