The city will move forward with construction of the proposed 9,247-square-metre operations building, including space for the city’s transit department.

On Monday evening, council voted 5-2 in favour of moving ahead with the project by preparing and releasing the construction tender.

The venture now includes the proposed extra $9.2 million to the budget to add transit vehicle space from the city building reserve and federal gasoline tax funding.

Construction, including the transit portion, is anticipated to cost up to $54.9 million. The project eats up a vast proportion of this year’s capital works budget.

The operations building will be constructed off of Range Road in the area of Two Mile Hill.

Most of the staff and and equipment will move out of the Municipal Services Building on Fourth Avenue to the new structure.

Councillors Dan Boyd and Samson Hartland voted against the project.

Hartland reiterated points he’s made previously against the $18.8 million the city plans to borrow for the project.

He cited alternatives the city could take given vacant office space and buildings available in the downtown area.

Hartland also commented that he’s not willing to “mortgage” his children’s future with the project’s steep cost.

Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu later countered that by stating she doesn’t want to saddle her kids with the project and higher costs years down the road.

Boyd, meanwhile, voiced concerns over the plans for transit operations.

They add another 2,182 square metres to the project and provide space for up to 17 conventional city buses and three Handy buses. There will also be space for the department’s administrative staff.

The proposed plans for transit, Boyd said, have only come forward within the last few weeks, and he believes there should be more thought put into them.

“I think we’re moving too quickly,” he said.

He went on to tell council he had come to a point where he could have supported moving ahead with the initial plans for the operations building – without the transit expansion.

The city could use the $9.2 million in gas tax funding for a variety of projects aside from the construction of the operations building, Boyd pointed out.

The cost for the transit expansion is “fairly rich,” he argued, saying it should not cost so much to add in space for buses.

The initiative brings the contract that was awarded to RDHA Architects for building design and construction supervision up another $412,200.

Richard Graham is the city’s acting director of infrastructure and operations.

After questioning, Graham explained the plans include an expansion of the building’s wash-bay to accommodate buses along with other city vehicles and equipment, along with making room for transit employees in the administrative part of the building.

Boyd also went on to cite concerns over the possibility it may be difficult for Yukon firms to bid on such a large project.

As Coun. Rob Fendrick noted though, these types of larger projects typically see a partnering between larger and smaller firms.

There will likely be a number of Yukon contractors involved in various parts of the project, he added.

Boyd held to his argument against the transit expansion. Other council members countered that now is the time to move forward with construction that includes space for transit vehicles and employees.

Curteanu said the city will benefit from the current low interest rates. They could see the city save around $1 million by moving forward now rather than when the rates rise.

Curteanu also mentioned the opportunity to take advantage of available federal funds and add in space for transit without adding to the borrowing.

She pointed out that even if the city doesn’t go ahead with the transit plans for the operations building, it’s expected $600,000 worth of temporary renovations will be needed until transit is eventually added to the operations building.

Coun. Betty Irwin agreed. She said the city is in a position to move quickly on the project, including the transit component, allowing for operational efficiencies on “all levels.”

Irwin also raised reports citing the new building will last 50 years.

Pointing out that there are cathedrals built 1,000 years ago that are still standing, she commented it’s “kind of sad” that with today’s technologies, buildings are only expected to last 50 years.

Boyd later noted the 50-year life expectancy is more about how long it will serve the purpose it’s built for. The structure itself will last much longer, he said.

Coun. Rob Fendrick said the proposal to build an operations building has been “on the books for decades.”

It’s not a question of if, but when, he said.

It’s unlikely everything is aligned for funding the project in a way that is unlikely to happen again, Fendrick said, citing the plan’s benefits.

In a report presented to council last Tuesday, city engineering manager Wayne Tuck cited the efficiencies that will be achieved.

“When the project is complete, the city will relocate operating staff and equipment from a number of undersized buildings and rental properties that are nearing or at the end of their life-cycle to a new, energy-efficient building,” Tuck said.

“The new operations building will reduce energy consumption, thus meeting our sustainability target of 80 per cent better than the 2011 National Energy Code’s target.”

RDHA Architects was contracted by the city last May to design the building and oversee construction. The contract required the building to be designed so that the transit and parks departments could be added in the future.

It’s anticipated that with transit moving into the operations building, the city’s parks and trails department could move from its current older building in Marwell to the present transit building in Marwell. That would happen after the operations building opens in 2019.

For now, the focus will be on getting the construction tender on the operations building released next month to be awarded in June so that work can begin this summer.