Consultant to examine upgrades to city buildings
A consultant has been retained by the city to look at energy efficiency upgrades to city hall and the proposal to convert the old fire hall next door into a heated transit hub.
A consultant has been retained by the city to look at energy efficiency upgrades to city hall and the proposal to convert the old fire hall next door into a heated transit hub.
The repurposed fire hall would also have accessible public washrooms available, says an administrative report prepared for city council last month.
The city began its building consolidation project in 2014. It led to the construction of the Whitehorse Operations Building off of Range Road.
It was also to include the expansion of city hall – including the demolition of the 1966 portion facing Second Avenue – and the creation of a downtown transit hub.
The bid for the expansion of city hall came in $10 million over the approved budget in late 2021. The city cancelled the project in 2022 and began exploring alternate options.
The city currently has $900,000 to facilitate the development of the transit hub, as well as $5 million for the energy upgrade work.
The consultant will identify any potential impacts to the building structures and energy systems, and options to achieve higher operating efficiency, says the administrative report.
The report says it’s expected a request for proposals for the transit hub project will be issued in the spring.
A design-build request for proposals to upgrade the energy efficiency of city hall is expected to be issued over the coming summer, says the report.
Comments (13)
Up 6 Down 6
Nathan Living on Jan 6, 2023 at 2:02 pm
The City of Whitehorse and all levels of government have normalized the public use of drugs and alcohol in the city.
All public use buildings built by the City should therefore accommodate this use and the dysfunction that comes with it.
The people who are vulnerable should have access to public places that offer warmth and shelter.
The alternative is to offer meals etc in an area where vulnerable people can assemble but we all know this will adversely affect nearby businesses.
Up 19 Down 0
Bingo on Jan 5, 2023 at 2:58 pm
Does the said “consultant “ have a name?
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Anie on Jan 5, 2023 at 2:43 pm
Nathan Living, you are joking, right? You don't seriously propose that high school students on their way to school, elderly on their way to medical appointments , should share space with safe injection clients. That goes way beyond "consider vulnerable people".
Up 9 Down 0
Hobo on Jan 4, 2023 at 6:24 pm
@Nathan Living : You sure are asking for this thing to fail.
CoW by itself is bad, now top it with YTG and I can tell it just won't work. I was in a job -by the river- where those two were going head-to-head and then FO showed up; what a show I witnessed
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Patti Eyre on Jan 4, 2023 at 2:45 pm
@politico: Ted talks, he talks a lot!
Up 36 Down 3
Jack on Jan 3, 2023 at 11:39 pm
It seems crazy how the city is laser focused on their own offices instead of keeping rates lower and delivering basic services to tax payers. Something is very wrong in their management culture.
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Max Mack on Jan 3, 2023 at 9:20 pm
A hand-picked consultant to provide hand-picked results?
CoW still pushing the indoor transit hub concept despite the massive cost to the city this will entail (with limited benefits), not to mention round-the-clock security that will be needed to keep the place safe for transit users?
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Jim on Jan 3, 2023 at 8:26 pm
@Politico. Have no fears, their are still enough bleeding heart money spending left leaning Liberal wing nuts on council to pass lots of money wasting and woke programs. I for one am more than happy we have at least one councillor asking questions. Would you sooner the whole group be lock step and rubber stamp everything the administration puts in front of them? These are the same individuals that now have grand offices in the palace on the hill that spared no expenses. The last council gave that one the rubber stamp of approval, no questions asked. With the state of economy that we have now due to Liberal/NDP spending runaway it’s kind of refreshing to have some fiscal spending conversations.
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Hobo on Jan 3, 2023 at 4:32 pm
There will be so many warm bodies inside at -10C and lower that there will be no need for heat............ and a bathroom to top it off? sign me up.
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Nathan Living on Jan 3, 2023 at 3:42 pm
I would like to see the City partner with the territorial government when designing the proposed transportation hub.
The hub could be a safe injection site which would also provide a warm and safe place for people who use drugs. It's important for the City to consider all redidents including the vulnerable people who frequent the downtown core.
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Snowball on Jan 3, 2023 at 3:33 pm
Still can't fix the rental problems waste of money next the bus drivers go on strike for more money
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Jeff Bikaboom on Jan 3, 2023 at 2:30 pm
How long for the return on investment for the 5 million energy upgrade work? If the upgrades save 1000 dollars a month going forward, it will take 400 years to recoup the cost.
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Politico on Jan 3, 2023 at 1:39 pm
Has any one consulted Ted to see if these is a wise use of city money and would he support the results of the study? No use wasting the money if the fiscal conservatives are just going to turn it down!