King's new Township Hall: Council ponders options

'Project Giddy-up': Councillor Mortelliti

Yorkregion.com
Aug. 25, 2015
By Tim Kelly

King City Councillor Cleve Mortelliti spoke for everyone Monday night when he called the move to a new Township Hall “Project Giddy-up.”

The joking reference drew laughs and even though the new hall is at least two years from being ready at the former Holy Name Catholic Elementary School (2585 King Road), people can’t wait to get out of the old, cramped, overcrowded space at 2075 King Road.

Council had a chance to weigh several options, one of which includes a York Regional Police substation. The three choices come in at various price points with the first option including a simple renovation of the school, the second including a renovation and addition and the third option involving a demolition and complete new build.

Option 1 would cost $7,774,965 for a building site that would cover a floor space of 35,990 square feet; Option 2 would cost $9,689,817 for a building with square footage of 39,000 square feet; and Option 3 would cost $12,638,890 and would also be 39,000 square feet.

None of the estimates includes so-called soft costs such as professional fees, permits, surveys, furniture, fitments and equipment but does build in a 10 per cent contingency fee.

Option 2 has a sub-option that would allow an addition for York Regional Police to add a substation to the hall, and this is the option recommended by staff for council’s approval.

The plan also includes community space, a soccer field out in back of the building, meeting rooms and wide open public space on the first floor.

And a big part of moving to the new site is anticipated growth in Township staff as the size of King Township grows from 21,000 to its eventual permanent population of 35,000. It’s expected Township staff will increase by 25 staff members from the current total of 94.

Schomberg Councillor Bill Cober wanted to know how the new hall would be paid for and how much the Township could generate from the sale of the existing Township Hall.

“What the public wants to hear is where is the revenue coming from and where is the money coming from?”

Chief Administrative Officer Susan Plamondon gave Cober part of the answer he wanted.

“The largest source of funding will likely be the proceeds of the sale of this property and to that end, we are attempting to maximize the value of these lands. Because we are community use in the new facility, we may have an opportunity to use development charges to help pay for the community use of the building… which is just under 10 per cent of the floor area.

“We are looking for opportunities for grants for the green elements of the building but undoubtedly there will be an element of borrowing associated with it. Our goal is to make that the smallest part of the equation,” said Plamondon.

She declined to speculate on the current value of Township Hall.

“We have had an appraisal undertaken but we don’t want to negotiate in public,” she added.

Council approved, in principle, the second option that included the York Region Police substation.