Prescott Council approved completing phase two and three on the second floor in the Municipal Building with the Town as the General Contractor.
The second floor was closed last year due to asbestos. Phase one of the renovation was completed in the fall of 2018. So far, the Ruth Evanson Community Room, Council chambers, Mayor’s office, Councillor’s office, and half of the main corridor have been reconstructed.
Phase two of the renovation will include construction of a board room, office and control centre, physical activity room, two gender neutral bathrooms, and the remainder of the main corridor neat the east end of the building. The third phase of the renovation will include a kitchen, auditorium, and auditorium corridor.
In a previous Committee of the Whole meeting, Director of Public Works and Infrastructure Dan Beattie outlined the cost of hiring a General Contractor versus the town acting as its own. The total cost when using a hired contractor is estimated at $436,700. For the town to keep it in house it is estimated at $253,286. Beattie adds specialty trades workers will be used out of house. The cost to construct a new building was estimated at a cost of approximately $250.00 per square foot, amounting to $1,091,750, according to Beattie. This estimate did not include the space already completed in phase one.
All voted in favour except for Councillor Lee McConnell. McConnell says he feels that any money they spend on the building to reconvert it, is money completely thrown down the well.
He says to date he believes they’ve spent between three to four million dollars on the building and once they spend this money on it, they will probably be looking in a few years for a new roof and windows.
McConnell finishes by saying the building is certainly worth preserving, but in this location, by a private industry probably as a condominium.
Beattie says construction begins this week and will take about three to three and a half months per phase.