City of Saskatoon proposes $3.5M conservatory upgrade
Saskatoon residents are being asked to envision two possible futures for the Civic Conservatory: A $2.3-million restoration or a $3.5-million expansion nearly three times its current size.
The greenhouse, which was built as part of the Mendel Art Gallery in 1964, has closed for the first time as the building is being renovated to prepare for the Children’s Discovery Museum.
A report headed to a city council committee on Tuesday outlines the two options and suggests a more expensive expanded facility could produce cash for the city through rentals and corporate sponsorship.
“Revenue could be generated from weddings, corporate meetings and community gatherings,” says the report that will be considered by the environment, utilities and corporate services committee. “An expanded space would also be more marketable to a corporate sponsor. It would provide value both in capital and operating costs.”
No funding source has been identified for either option, but the report notes the possibility of seeking federal funding for community, culture and recreation infrastructure. The visibility of the conservatory could have “significant sponsor appeal,” the report adds.
The expanded conservatory would increase the square footage of the “program area” from 1,011 to 2,798, the report says.
An assessment of the building says the roof is leaking, noting the fibreglass skylight roof from 1964 has far exceeded its 15-year life expectancy. The report also says the single-ply wall glazing needs updating, in part so the building is more energy efficient.
An accessibility audit identified the need for wider paths, a power door and an elevator or lift to accommodate those with mobility issues.
The expansion would supplant an outdoor garden, but the report explains key parts of the garden were moved to the Forestry Farm Park in 2008.
The conservatory remains popular despite the closure of the Mendel in June of 2015. Since the Mendel closed, the conservatory is also no longer open in the evenings.
In 2016, the first full year without the Mendel, 76,491 people visited the conservatory, down from 85,299 in 2015 and a high of 92,731 in 2014.
The idea of expanding the conservatory comes from a plan for Kinsmen Park and the area nearby approved by council in 2011, the report says.
The committee is being asked to recommend to council that the report be considered during 2018 budget deliberations as council struggles with a revenue shortfall and tries to lower a property tax increase estimated at just under five per cent.
Council is also expected to consider granting heritage status for the Mendel building later this year.