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City hall renovations beginning soon
Elected officials held their last meeting in City of Cranbrook city hall council chambers April 25 as long-awaited renovation work gets underway.
Council meetings are moving to the Manual Training School beside the Cranbrook Public Library until work is completed, likely around the start of 2023, said city communications director Chris Zettel.
The $1.51 million city hall renovation project is being entirely funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of B.C., with over $1.2 million from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s (ICIP) – COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream along with over $300,000 in funds coming from the province.
The project will see the renovation of the existing third floor that has been out of commission for over 40 years, due to asbestos, lead paint, and structural concerns.
By removing these materials, the project addresses the health and safety concerns for staff and the public.
This renovation will also result in three additional office spaces and a common area, which will alleviate staffing capacity issues at City Hall, and allow for the centralization of services to improve customer access, explained city chief administrative officer Mark Fercho.
The renovation of the council chambers will also remove the hazardous material in the ceiling, which was enclosed many years ago. The end result will see the ceiling being about six feet higher, with a focus on existing heritage features that were covered by the ceiling and the overhang located at the back of the council chambers, including the removal of the sight-restricting beams.
Council chambers will also be enlarged by about 10 feet, with a back wall cupboard being removed and that space opened up to provide more seating in the public gallery.
Finally, the project will see upgrades to the electrical services to city hall to provide updated electrical components and to allow for the future upgrades to the HVAC system.
The city has earmarked $150,000 for changes to the HVAC system, which is a previously planned capital work already in the five-year financial plan. This funding is independent of the grant dollars.
Lead image: Looking at council chambers from the public gallery, April 25, 2022. Ian Cobb/e-KNOW photos
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