A permanent home for the town’s tourist booth and chamber of commerce is now under construction.
The 2,200-square-foot building is being built between the strip mall and Centennial Park.
Barry Neath, executive manager of the Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce, is pleased the new office is finally under construction after years of discussion with town council. “It’s time that this town had a tourist booth and a home for the chamber of commerce.”
There is a small tourism kiosk at the Ponka Stampede Grounds in space shared with the rodeo museum.
Chamber and council representatives met several times to come up with a plan for the building and then put the project out for tenders this spring. The cost to build the office is about $300,000 and the project is eligible for a grant.
Neath said the Highway 2A site was his preferred location, next to the popular park with the recently announced water spray park. The site will have 13 parking stalls and visitors can also use the adjacent lot.
“I think along Highway 2A is a perfect location, easy to find with directional signage.”
The visitor information centre will share main floor space with the chamber office, boardroom and public washrooms. There will be room in the full basement for storage.
Neath said the chamber of commerce has been renting office space has moved three or four times since he served as president about 10 years ago. “At that time a lady was running it out of her kitchen.”
Council and the chamber must still negotiate the monthly rent and the fee the chamber will be paid for running the visitor information centre.
The new office is expected to be open later this year.