Whitehorse Daily Star

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Oldest part of city hall will be knocked down

City council has approved the demolition of the oldest section of city hall as a change to its Building Consolidation project.

By Chuck Tobin on April 16, 2021

City council has approved the demolition of the oldest section of city hall as a change to its Building Consolidation project.

The project involves the construction of the new Operations Building off Range Road, building the new fire hall on Black Street, tearing down the old fire hall beside city hall and rebuilding city hall, which will become the new services building.

During design work last year, it was determined the best approach to a new city hall would be to build a new two-storey structure and remove the section of city hall that was constructed in 1966. It’s the front section facing Second Avenue, where clerks serve members of the public.

Removing the old section, however, is expected to add another $3.5 million to $4 million to the budget.

Council was not being asked Tuesday evening to approve a budget amendment for the project, but rather was simply being asked to approve the removal of the old section.

The required budget amendment will come back to council once the design work is complete next month and a new, more refined budget estimate is available for council to review and vote on.

Council also directed administration to put together a technical briefing for the media and general public to help them better understand the Building Consolidation Project.

Coun. Samson Hartland requested the technical briefing as a means of explaining what is a complicated project, and the rest of council supported the ideal.

City manager Linda Rapp told council that preparing a technical briefing would not be difficult and could be done quickly. The meeting is now scheduled for mid-May, and will be held at city hall.

Under the proposed schedule, the city would go to tender for construction in August, with anticipated completion in 2023.

Prior to the design team recommending it would be best to demolish the old section, the budget was estimated last October at $20.8 million, according to an administrative report provided to council.

The federal government has committed $15.7 million for the project but the money must be spent before the end of 2023, and there will be no extensions granted, council has been told.

With the additional demolition work involved, the budget has now been estimated at $24.6 million.

As she did last week during committee of the whole discussions, Coun. Laura Cabott expressed concerns Tuesday about the rising budget.

She suggested more options for a new city hall should be explored.

Cabott said she was not comfortable spending that amount of money without looking at alternatives.

But other members of council noted any delays in the project at this point could threaten the schedule and the $15.7 million in committed federal funding.

Administration noted Tuesday night approximately $1 million has already been spent on design work and the design budget has almost been used up.

Valerie Braga, the director of corporate services, said the city can afford the additional $3.5 million to $4 million.

The city has $45 million in capital reserves, and it has been putting $2 million away every year since 2016 to support the Building Consolidation Project, she said.

Council has been told the city will not need to increase property taxes to pay for the new city hall.

The consolidation project also includes the sale of some city properties, such as the site of the Municipal Services Building (MSB) on Fourth Avenue.

Staff at MSB have all been relocated, many of them to the new Operations Building. Others are scheduled to move into the new city hall, but have relocated in the meantime.

Once the MSB is demolished and the site remediated, the land is scheduled to be put up for sale.

Comments (13)

Up 12 Down 1

Blake on Apr 20, 2021 at 9:23 pm

This tree is getting cut down because council/staff want to make sure that they have space to build their private paved parking lot (tax free, of course). Climate emergency be damned! It is as Joni Mitchell predicted.

Up 17 Down 1

Dave on Apr 20, 2021 at 6:18 pm

Tearing down a structurally sound 50 year old building that results in any higher cost than was originally budgeted for should result in someone receiving disciplinary action.
Just sayin’.

Up 10 Down 8

Nathan Living on Apr 19, 2021 at 5:51 pm

Let's cut that tree down as soon as possible and build a City Hall that looks like the McBride Museun.

Up 26 Down 2

Yukon Justice on Apr 18, 2021 at 6:36 pm

All the money from inflated home prices in Whistle Bend is funding these grandiose projects. Don't build it! Save the taxpayers some dollars.

Up 27 Down 2

drum on Apr 18, 2021 at 2:12 pm

Leave that tree alone!!!!!!!!
Listen to Yukoners.

Up 48 Down 5

martin on Apr 17, 2021 at 1:09 pm

Happy to see the mayor losing dwntwn riding. Imagine if he'd won?. Can't wait to get rid of this City admin.

Up 49 Down 4

North_of_60 on Apr 17, 2021 at 12:55 pm

The CoW does not need a new City Hall. Renovate the old fire hall to create offices. Spend the rest of the money on overdue infrastructure upgrades, like fixing roads. Spending a million on "design work" was nothing but cronyism.
It appears the question "Is this really needed?" was never asked.

Up 16 Down 10

Josey Wales on Apr 17, 2021 at 11:01 am

Yes, the tree is pretty, yes the tree is symbolic, yes our mayor & council is arrogant & outta touch with most (my POV).
However, I speculate the moral outrage with its roots being ripped, will be more than our individual liberties being ripped out by their roots?
Hence the problem I suggest with our society all chronic like.

"Valerie Braga, the director of corporate services, said the city can afford the additional $3.5 million to $4 million."
Of course we can, our citizens have illustrated historically have DEEP pockets and are conditioned very well to sodomy via excessive taxation and completely irresponsible spending with ZERO accountability.
We reside in a place where failure in "the system" gets you promoted and rewarded with perks.
See our last alleged safe/tamper free "election" for many examples.

Civic, territorial, and what is left of our once great nation politically?
all caustic vats of just that, failure stew...we all (well most...some are just too...special) must chew down.
...till we puke ourselves to death, clearly!

Up 35 Down 6

Big Ed on Apr 16, 2021 at 5:27 pm

That is a crime - that tree should not be touched

Up 29 Down 2

Vern Schlimbesser on Apr 16, 2021 at 5:14 pm

There is definitely a different flavor to this, what is going on here?
Is this the bureaucrats running the show? Or is this just the way council wants it to appear.
Start tearing the place down, then you will need a new palace?
The way the story reads it's like no one is in charge. Will "Valerie" be accountable for the eventual cost over-run.

Up 29 Down 4

Max Mack on Apr 16, 2021 at 4:57 pm

These "councilors" somehow think that free money to construct capital works doesn't cost anything?
There's an accounting term called depreciation. The existing city hall and fire hall is fully depreciated; hence, no depreciation expense shows up on the books.

Yet, a new building, that will probably cost in excess of $40 million after cost overruns and change orders/etc will result in a significant charge for depreciation expense on the books that must be offset by operating revenues (not capital reserves). Where is that money going to come from?

And this depreciation expense does begin to address additional O&M resulting from the new building(s) and related infrastructure.
CoW will be asking taxpayers to foot this bill. Mark my words.

Up 42 Down 4

Marlene McMillan on Apr 16, 2021 at 4:42 pm

So the city will rip down a 50 something building because they want something more modern? Is there a major problem with the building now? Seems like a lot of money just for a pretty building.

Up 42 Down 4

Seriously on Apr 16, 2021 at 4:37 pm

Here’s a novel idea. How about the city put the money into contracting and fixing all the damn roads in town instead of patching, after patch, after patch, and so on. How about actually spending the money on things that will benefit all Whitehorse citizens!!!

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