The city's public works staff are closer to getting their new home.
Less than a year after receiving approval to borrow the $2 million for the project, construction has begun on a new office building at the 18th Avenue public works yard.
The one-storey, 13,240-square foot building will house the almost 100 office and field staff from the municipal transportation engineering group and utilities group currently split between the Fourth Avenue and 18th Avenue locations.
"The utilities group works pretty much out of the Fourth Avenue yard, but the transportation group has its engineering group at Fourth Avenue and its streets group at the 18th Avenue Yard," explained Greg Anderson, the city manager of civic facilities, construction and maintenance.
A building permit for the new space was issued last month and construction is expected to be complete by the beginning of November.
"We've tried to get as much wood involved in the project as we could," Anderson said, noting the building's wood frame instead of going with standard steel studs.
In addition to the new building for staff, existing buildings housing shops and vehicles at the 18th Avenue yard underwent renovations.
In July 2011, city council received approval to borrow up to $3 million using the alternative approval process to finance the project. Only eight counter petitions were filed by the deadline. The loan has a life-span of 20 years, with annual payments estimated at $242,625.
Relocating the city staff and equipment out of the downtown core was identified in the Smart Growth on the Ground exercise completed in 2009. The plan was to use the space for a green corridor to connect the downtown to the river system.
A preliminary design for this corridor is complete, linking through the trail system to the rivers but it's not using the yard space, explained Ian Wells, who handles the management of city lands. Instead the green space adjoins and abuts the existing property.
"There may be an opportunity to sell some surplus land at the Fourth Avenue yard, but we'd have to take that back to council for some consideration," Wells said. "We put the overall link on hold due to capital considerations."
