Mr C. W. Pressley, of Grampian Region's architectural services department, said that the cost of developing the leisure centre itself, including the demolition of the building, would be £531,210, with a further £100,000 needed for an ice-pad on the ground floor.
He told the committee that the Scottish Sports Council might meet 50 per cent of the cost of the ice-pad, which will be able to provide facilities for skating and curling.
The committee had already paid £60,000 for the purchase of the building and site.
Fees for consultant and architectural services will take the total cost up to the £700,000 mark.
Councillors approved an amended design for the centre prepared for them by Mr Walter Scott, director of technical services.
This new design has an ice-pad on the ground floor and a three-lane full-length indoor bowling rink on the first floor.
Members also considered having the building designed in such a way that a third story could be added at a later date if desired.
However, when they were told that this would cost an extra £31,850, they decided that this would not be justified.

50 Years Ago

Friday, April 4, 1958

PERTURBED by the return of the rabbit, the Stonehaven branch of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland are sponsoring a meeting, at which they hope a local Rabbit Clearance Society will be formed.
The meeting will take place in the Crown Hotel, Stonehaven, at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10 and the Union are hoping that farmers will rally round to give the scheme a good start.
Every occupier is responsible for keeping his own land free from rabbits, but individual efforts often fail.
Most failures are caused by lack of skill and patience in dealing with scattered infestations, or by re-invasion of rabbits from neighbouring properties.
Group action is the most practicable and economic remedy for these common causes of failures.
It has already proved its worth in other parts of Scotland and organisations are keeping the lands of members free from rabbits by employing skilled operators to carry out systematic campaigns at an annual cost of about 1s. 6d. per acre.

100 Years Ago

Thursday, April 2, 1908

FROM a Rhodesian paper to hand we observe that our townsman, Mr James E. Christie, son of Mr Christie, cooper, Glenury Distillery, has now become one of the partners in the Umtali Bakery.
Away in that southern land a shopkeeper turns his hand to more than one occupation, as fish and rickshaws are among the goods dealt in.
Mr Christie was trained as a baker with Mr Greig, Market Square, and left for South Africa four years ago, where he has since been doing very well.