Kamloops council is being asked to apply for a grant which would mostly cover the costs of a new outdoor skating rink as well as other improvements at Riverside Park.

City staff will be seeking more than $4 million in grant funding which would be used for the new skating rink, flood mitigation work including grading, and improving and replacing infrastructure.

Capital projects manager Darren Crundwell says the park itself could use a facelift.

“The infrastructure in that area is quite old. It’s forty-plus years old, so yeah we’re just looking at efficiencies and hopefully getting approximately $4 million from the province and the feds to help us with those improvements,” he says.

The project, called the “Riverside Park Recreation and Revitalization Project” in city staff’s report, would only go ahead if grant funding is successful.

The city would pay 27 per cent, about $1.8 million of the total cost of $6.05 million. Crundwell says that portion would be covered by gaming grants.

“I think these are some great opportunities for us. I’m hopeful we’re successful with the grant application, if council supports the recommendations in the report,” Crundwell says.

Council will vote on Tuesday whether to pursue the grant funding.