Library/Civic Building - Leadership in Energy & Environmental Desing (sic)

http://www.vernon.ca/news/index.html#library_civic

On a per capita basis, the Vernon branch of the Okanagan Regional Library has been underserviced and has outgrown its current building. The City has also outgrown its space at City Hall and houses several divisions in the Corporate Services Building on the Coldstream Hotel site. In addition, other public sector organizations, including the RCMP have expressed a need for office space. To accommodate the needs of a growing community, the City has committed to constructing a library/civic building on the civic complex site. Site enhancements will include the relocation and increase in parking stalls under the proposed new building to allow for increased pedestrian and green space on the civic site.

The objectives in redeveloping the civic complex site include:

• unifying and strengthening the existing masterplanned block as the civic “heart” of the City and region
• enhancing open space on the site by maintaining important North/South pedestrian corridor and relocating existing parking to below grade to create more open useable (sic)pedestrian and green space
• reducing energy consumption and implementing sustainable strategies where possible
  importance of shared space to create efficiencies
• respect for the significance and history of the site by using complimentary materials and forms

The City has a number of options to raise funds to construct the building, including borrowing, through the Municipal Finance Authority. To reduce the impact on the average taxpayer and spread the costs over the life of the facility, Council has decided to borrow the funds. Public assent for the borrowing will proceed by way of the Alternate Approval Process, a duly authorized process under the Community Charter. The City of Kelowna has obtained borrowing authority under the Alternate Approval Process for many projects, including most recently, a 44 million dollar aquatic centre, 30 million dollars of which was approved for borrowing under the Alternate Approval Process.

Based on borrowing over 25 years, financing the construction of the new building, less lease revenue, will cost the average home owner $38 per year. Alternatively, short term financing of the project would cost $160 per average household over 4 years.

Further information on the Alternate Approval Process, including petition locations and eligibility to sign will be provided to the public at the Open Houses and in the newspaper.

The public will be provided three opportunities within the next two weeks to view site concepts for the inclusion of the proposed library/civic building on the civic complex block.

The Open Houses will be held at City Hall on the following dates:

Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 – 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 23rd, 2007 – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 – 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Library and Art Gallery representatives, City Staff, RCMP, and Architects will be available to provide information on the preliminary design, cost and borrowing bylaw approval process.
Posted: June 15, 2007