In about 90 minutes, the future of the Castlegar Community Complex will be decided.
Voters should know about 90 minutes after that what the decision is.
After years of community consultation, and months of sometimes heated debate, polls close at 8 p.m. in the complex referendum.
Residents of the City of Castlegar and two regional areas were voting on measures that would approve a $32 million expansion to the sports and recreation complex.
Proponents said a bigger and better complex would bring growth to the community, expand recreation services the space could provide, and address shortcomings in the existing building. The plan even got a last-minute endorsement by local doctors.
However, many people raised concerns about the affect borrowing $22 million would have on housing affordability. The RDCK estimated the project would cost about $48.1 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, though one rural area would see a larger increase than that because of changes to the complex’s governance.
The RDCK’s regional voting officer, Randy Matheson, said turnout had been steady to busy all day Saturday, reminding him of the November 2010 referendum on the complex.
In that referendum, which had about an 40 per cent turnout, nearly 80 per cent of voters rejected a $25 million development plan.
Follow the Castlegar News Facebook page for the results, expected to be available about 9:30 Saturday night.