OUTSIDE renovations to improve the appearance and increase the energy efficiency at city hall are scheduled to continue this year.
Work on the back west wall took place last year and the south wall was renovated several years ago.
This year the front east facing wall is being rebuilt and there are longer term plans to reconstruct the main entrance.
The work is being done for practical reasons to extend the life of the structure, which this year is 50-years-old.
Public works director Rob Schibli says the main entrance reconstruction will be a separate project.
“We have a separate capital budget item for an architectural design of the main entrance,” said Schibli. “We have some concept ideas in house about how the entrance should be renovated to improve access, energy efficiency and building appearance but require an architect refine and detail our concept.”
He said the design could be presented to council this year, with construction happening in a later year:
“Once the design is complete (and probably during the design process) the concept will be shared with council, the media and public. The entrance will be reconstructed in a future year.”
Schibli added that the look of the east wall will be similar to the work on the other walls.
“The east wall renovation is an insulation and building envelope upgrade for energy efficiency and building protection purposes and will not include the area around the existing main entrance,” he said. “The areas of the east wall to be upgraded this year will look similar to the new west wall when complete.”
A start date to the construction has yet to be set but the amount of $128,000 has been allocated for the work, Schibli added.
Also scheduled is work on the north end of the building which contains the fire department. That includes renovations to the department’s hose tower and renovations to the bays containing the department’s fire trucks. That work is to cost $158,000.
At one time the structure also contained the local RCMP detachment.