Overhaul to begin on former police building
Council awarded a $149,205 contract to a Niagara Falls architect firm to shape the renovation of the former police station on Morrison Street.
The city purchased the former Niagara Regional Police building from Niagara Region late last year for $1.1 million to accommodate office space for city staff operations currently located in leased premises.
The professional services contract was awarded to Raimondo + Associates Architects Inc. during Tuesday evening’s meeting.
Extensive upgrading and interior and exterior renovations will be needed to meet current building requirements and to incorporate space requirements for stakeholder groups, according to a staff report that recently went before council.
The stakeholder groups include the municipality’s Information Systems division currently located on Ontario Street, the Small Business Enterprise Centre, currently located on Queen Street, and Niagara Regional Broadband Network, a fibre-optics company the city owns a 75 per cent stake in, currently located in Grimsby.
A project team was created from various city departments to work with the selected consulting team to ensure scope of work and timelines are achieved.
Windows are expected to be replaced, and the two entrances will be modernized.
A new HVAC system will be installed and there will be a new, flat roof, with the possible implementation of solar panels, as well as new energy efficient lighting, security, and closed-circuit television systems.
There will be office spaces, washrooms, small kitchens and boardrooms.
It’s expected the basement will be used for storage.
Council approved $4.1 million in its 2017 capital budget for the renovation project, which includes the consulting fee of $149,205.
The design work is expected to begin immediately.
The construction is scheduled to start Oct. 1, with completion by mid-June 2018.
Ken Todd, the city’s chief administrative officer, said he expects staff to move into the building next spring.
He said once the design of the work to be done inside the building is complete, staff will bring a report back to council to approve the contract for the actual renovations.
Todd said staff wants to make the area have a “campus-like” feel with the former police station and city hall built around the same time and being next to one another.
“We’ve made a commitment with city hall in its current location because we’re doing energy renovations right now,” he said.
“The HVAC has been completed, we’re now doing window replacements, and we’re going to be doing new, exterior cladding as well that’s been approved by council. That will all be happening at city hall, and since we’ve made that commitment here, having this building basically adjacent to it that will serve our needs for the next 20-30 years as well, we’re looking at having both buildings renovated at the same time, looking the same, providing us that home base for our municipal administration.”