Delta has entered into a new lease with the Vancouver Giants to use the Ladner Leisure Centre.
The municipality has made public an in-camera decision by Delta council late last month to ink a new 10-year deal with local businessman and team owner Ron Toigo.
In 2005, the municipality entered into a deal with Toigo to move the junior hockey club's training facility to the leisure centre.
The Giants paid approximately $1 million toward the 7,760-square-foot addition, which included a weight room on the top floor open to the public as well as space for the hockey team on the ground floor. The Giants also got exclusive ice time at the arena.
Delta paid for part of the expansion and the $170,000 price tag to equip the new weight room, among other costs.
The original 10-year lease expired this July 31, which required Delta to make a balloon payment of approximately $390,000 to cover the outstanding mortgage.
The new deal sees the Giants pay an annual rental fee of $25,000 for use of the training facility. The Giants also get what they had before, including exclusive weekday ice time for practices and access to the facility for training camp and pre-season exhibition
games. They also have the right to place signage on exterior walls.
All other terms will remain the same as the previous lease, although the team would have to pay a 50 per cent penalty of the remaining balance if it decided to terminate the agreement early.
"Keeping the team training facility within Delta is strongly supported by the
community," stated Delta CAO George Harvie. "By having the Giants' training facility in Delta, the school academies, training camp and other development programs remain local. The addition of the training centre signage at the Ladner Leisure Centre also assists in the identity of the civic precinct."
Harvie also noted the Giants and the team owners have supported many community sports organizations as well as sponsored several community events.
Last year Delta found itself having to undertake major repairs to the facility when an exterior stucco wall partially collapsed.
A number of other updates and upgrades, in addition to the repairs, were undertaken at a total cost $4.6 million.
