Plans to replace Houston’s aging community hall are still on track, according to the district.
A concept plan and an updated cost estimate for the replacement are expected to be completed by the end of the year, said Gerald Pinchbeck, the district’s chief administrative officer.
However, the replacement is reliant on being able to tap into a grant that would cover 73 per cent of the replacement costs, which have been estimated to cost about $4.9 million, said Pinchbeck.
If the district is successful in its application, Pinchbeck said the project’s architectural design will proceed in mid to late 2020, and construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2021.
The district’s portion of the costs will be covered through an allocation of over $1 million in Northern Capital and Planning Grant revenues and $330,000 in recreation capital reserve funds for a net contribution of over $1.3 million, said Pinchbeck.
Built at some point in the 1950s, the Community Hall is approaching the end of its useful life despite the renovations that took place over the years. More work is now needed, including replacing the roof within the next five years.
In addition, the hall’s lower level and associated rooms are not available for rent since they lack access for people with mobility challenges.
According to a study prepared for the district in 2017, the facility has a maximum 15 years left under the best circumstances.
In April, district council approved the investment of $40,000 for the concept plan.
Although funding for the concept plan was originally expected to be sourced from deferred Gas Tax revenues, they could not be used to support this project, said Pinchbeck. Therefore council authorized a swap of funding source, using Northern Capital and Planning Grant dollars instead.
To pay for the largest portion of the replacement costs, the district is planning to apply for the next intake of the Community, Culture, and Recreation funding stream, which supports cost-sharing of infrastructure projects in communities across the province. It’s still unclear when the next intake begins.
- With files from Rod Link