BELLEVILLE – Staff with the city of Belleville say that the renovations to the Yardmen Arena are staying on track and within budget.

The arena, first built in 1977, is undergoing serious changes in order to be ready for the arrival of the Belleville Senators by the end of the year.

The city’s facilities manager, Peter Lyng, said the $20.5 million upgrades will be well worth the wait and will easily meet the American Hockey League standards needed to host the Senators.

“The public thinks we’re going to fall behind and we’re not going to meet target,” he said. “It’s happening so fast. We’re going to be ready November 1.”

Construction crews, as of this week, are focusing their efforts on preparing the 200-foot by 85-foot ice rink for assembly.

Lyng added that changing the rink size from Olympic to NHL standards allowed more room for two extra rows of seating on each side of the rink, which allows for more premium seating.

Over 800 additional seats were also added to the north end of the arena, which brings the total seat count close to 4,400.

As well, there will be around 40 accessible viewing stations for those with accessibility needs and a new elevator that goes all the way to the third floor. Lyng added that the new elevator would be big enough to accommodate medical gear, like a gurney, which is something that wasn’t possible before.

As for the top balcony level, Lyng said the plan is to turn part of that space into suites and mini hockey loges.

“Everything here is falling in budget and we’re right on target right now,” he said. “Timeline is tight but we’re still going to hit it.”

Other big renovations being undertaken is the complete gutting of the home team dressing area. Lyng said the new 9,000 square feet expansion would rival the set up that the Ottawa team currently has.

In the dressing room area, there will be space for equipment, a kitchenette, a small video room for studying plays, a laundry facility, a hot-cold tub and more.

“People are going to be knocked off their feet when they see it,” he said. “We’ve thought of everything.”

The visiting team will also have their own private entrance instead of having to go through a public entrance, which Lyng said teams would appreciate.

To help save costs, the arena will be fitted with energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) lights and motion sensor toilets and taps.

While the venue is getting bigger, Lyng said the parking lot might not necessarily see a proportionate change in size because they are landlocked.

But he explained that the city is looking into offering shuttle services from the Quinte Mall to the Yardmen Arena.

As for why the renovations to the Yardmen Arena were so important, Lyng said it came down to economics and heritage.

“Hockey in entrenched in the Canadian culture and in Belleville,” he said. “When the last hockey club left, there was a void in the community. It’s huge for the economy and it’s worth having in the city.”

Mark Fluhrer, director of recreation, culture and community services, echoed Lyng and said that the new arena was nothing but good news for the Quinte region.

“You’re now creating a facility, combined with the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre, that’s bringing us in into the 21st century,” he said. “It will provide many options, services and events for this community that will benefit us both economically and in terms of quality of life for many years to come.”

For more information on the Belleville Senators and how to get tickets for the upcoming inaugural 2017-18 season, click here.