Lakeshore's Town Hall will be getting a makeover.
Council met Tuesday evening and was met with a report to approve renovations to the main floor at Town Hall, located in the heart of Belle River, and the Operations Centre on Rourke Line.
In July 2023, council approved $350,000 for the review and design of the main floor office renovations, and for entrance improvements at Town Hall to accommodate additional staff and improve the lobby for those coming in.
JP Thomson Architects completed the design work, which would include a larger, more accessible entrance area with eight customer service counters, barrier free washrooms, a meeting room, staff room, 13 offices, and seven cubicles.
There are also six existing cubicles at the Operations Centre which will be converted to three offices and three cubicles to accommodate full-time staff.
Truper McBride, Chief Administrative Officer for the Municipality, says there needs to be some sort of advancement.
"I think that there's room to move forward with the renovation project for this facility, and also still give council space to talk about where want to go longer term with facilities. I don't think it's to the benefit of anyone to not advance some sort of solution."
McBride says the price of the project will increase the longer it's put off.
"There was a 2017 Strategic Facilities Report that told council at the time that if this is not done quickly, your costs escalate. And they will continue to escalate. Not acting now only increases council costs in the future. It does not mitigate it, it does not reduce it, it only increases it."
Wayne Ormshaw, Division Leader of Capital Projects for Lakeshore says this will improve space for staff.
"The plan for both locations will result in a net gain of 10 offices, with the loss of six cubicles. Hence providing an additional five front-facing customer counter spaces, with a total of nine additional work spaces at Town Hall."
The project is expected to go to tender within the upcoming weeks.
Council approved an additional $690,000 in the 2024 budget for the work, and on Tuesday evening they approved an additional $330,000 to be funded from the Facilities Reserve.
Council was also presented a report for the beginning designs and review of a new municipal facility due to the amount of employees with the Municipality. Council deferred that discussion to a Committee of the Whole meeting at a later date.