Council will allocate $25,000 for staff to obtain costs for Option 6 for the Station House project, including site works and a legal survey update.
Option 6 represents the sixth building layout for Station House, which architect Geoff Lawlor drew up based on feedback.
“Most people seem to consider that was the optimal arrangement,” said Lawlor. “It’s nothing radically different.”
In Option 6, there is a 47-square-metre attic on the second floor, and on the main floor, a 95-sq.-m. museum, 49-sq.-m. visitor centre and a 34-sq.-m. office. Ten square metres converts to about 108 square feet.
Compared to Option 5, the new drawings have specified the allocation of mercantile space in the basement — 55 sq. m. for Hope Mountain Centre, 43 sq. m. for Communities in Bloom and 118 sq. m. for museum storage.
District operations director Kevin Dicken said that Option 6 has been vetted by stakeholders. Not all of their requests have been integrated because the District is striking a balance between stakeholders, council and the public.
Lawlor said there will only be one entrance, via the vestibule, and people are forced to walk to the visitor centre before heading to the museum or washrooms, and return the same way.
“So there’s going to be maximum exposure,” said Lawlor.
Washrooms space became the centre of discussions soon after Lawlor’s presentation.
Option 6 has allocated a single-person handicap washroom, a single-person male washroom, and a female washroom with three cubicles and a handicap cubicle on the main floor.
On the bottom floor, Option 6 also has a male and female washroom.
Mayor Wilfried Vicktor highlighted that four stalls in the women’s washroom and one in the men’s seemed imbalanced. Lawlor argued that to add one stall to the male washroom, it would require taking two from the women’s washroom, furthering that people can use the handicap washroom too.
Coun. Scott Medlock took the position that the new plan still adds a lot to what the current visitor centre has.
Building code requires that the Station House provide one handicap, one male and two female stalls.
Staff will also obtain costs for a sprinkler system for a two-floor use building, after council discussed that sprinkling could protect the Station House and would be difficult to install once renovations are done.
Coun. Bob Erickson said that costs of installing a sprinkler system would cost $3 to $5 per square foot, but the real cost comes in water main upgrades.
Erickson later highlighted the costs of the Station House.
He clarified that the District spent a ballpark $200,000 last year, and will spend about $40,000 for the architect and $25,000 on the survey.
“So we’re going to be getting near $300,000 before we even start the building,” said Erickson.
Dicken replied that the District might not use the full $25,000. He put that figure forth to avoid returning to council for funding increases.
“A sidebar conversation with the architect indicates that we shouldn’t be anywhere near the $25,000 but it’s a placeholder for now,” said Dicken.
Erickson then asked why staff did not put it out for bidding.
“After you draw up the plan, the cost consultant is going to give you a price, so [are] three bidders,” said Erickson.
Dicken said that would depend on how the District wants to manage the project, and that has not been determined.
All mechanical systems such as furnaces and boilers will also be replaced during renovations.