New sports centre nears completion in Árnes

Construction of a new sports centre in Árnes, in the Skeiða- and Gnúpverjahreppur municipality in South Iceland, is nearing completion, mbl.is reports. The facility is scheduled to open next month.

Municipal council leader Haraldur Þór Jónsson said the building is one of the largest of its kind constructed in a rural area. He said it was intended to provide facilities that would serve residents for many years.

The building has a total area of 3,618 square metres, including a 1,350-square-metre sports hall. Its ground-floor area is just over 2,700 square metres, while a sizeable space on the upper floor has not yet been assigned a use.

A connecting building is also being constructed between the sports centre and Þjórsárskóli, the local school. The new centre includes a large dining hall and a commercial kitchen.

“For indoor sports, this will be the largest sports hall in South Iceland, and it will be a major boost for life in this rural community,” Jónsson said. Around 700 people live in the municipality.

The total construction cost currently stands at just over 1 billion Icelandic krónur and is expected to reach about 1.1 billion krónur when the work is complete.

Jónsson said the project was well within budget. When construction began, the estimate was just under 1.4 billion krónur at current prices.

Part of the project will be financed through borrowing. After the investment, the municipality’s debt ratio is expected to be between 65 and 70 per cent, compared with a maximum permitted level of 150 per cent, Jónsson said.