With pending renovations set to get underway at City Hall, all regular meetings of council for the rest of the year are being relocated to the Manual Training School at the Cranbrook Public Library, starting in May.
The city hall renovations are specific to council chambers, which will see a full renovation of the existing space, creating a multi-use space that will reconfigure the room for training and large meetings as well as technological upgrades to facilitate virtual attendance.
Regular meetings will continue to be livestreamed on the city website at www.cranbrook.ca/livestream
The renovations are being funded by the federal and provincial governments at $1.51 million, with no local taxpayer contributions needed, according to the city.
“We have a great opportunity to invest in both the improvement and restoration of this important heritage building that is City Hall, without impacting the local taxes - something that would not be possible without this grant,” said Mayor Lee Pratt. “On behalf of the City, I am grateful for the financial commitment to this project from both the Government of Canada and the Province of BC.”
The project will also facilitate the removal of hazardous materials from city hall, while some additional work and updates will be done while contractors are already on site, using funds the city had previously budgeted, in order to save costs.
“We are very excited to be part of this important heritage revitalization project. We worked hard with city staff and our consultants to bring the council chambers back to its original design, while maximizing its flexibility to allow other functions like training and large meetings,” said Bassem Tawfik, Principal at KMBR Architects. “This is achieved by using flexible furniture configurations and the latest technology.”
The renovations are expected to be substantially completed by the end of the year.