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HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-17-076 - City Hall Outdoor Spaces Functional DesignREPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: December 4, 2017 SUBMITTED BY: Justin Readman, Interim Executive Director, Infrastructure Services 519-741-2600 X7646 PREPARED BY: Lynda Stewart - Interim Director, Facilities Management 519-741-2600 X4215 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All Wards DATE OF REPORT: November 14, 2017 REPORT NO.: INS-17-076 SUBJECT: City Hall Outdoor Spaces Functional Design ___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: That the functional design for City Hall outdoor spaces as outlined in INS -17-076 be endorsed BACKGROUND: In September 2016, Council considered report INS-16-066 City Hall Outdoor Spaces Master Plan which outlined the existing conditions, patterns of use and the preferred vision for the redevelopment of Carl Zehr Square and the Duke Street gardens. When Kitchener City Hall was built, exterior spaces were included in the design and were intended to be community gathering spots, allowing for a variety of events and activities to occur, and they have lived up to their original design intent. However, after 24years, infrastructure elements are nearing the end of their serviceable life and are showing significant signs of wear and deterioration. The following issues were identified in the master plan: An engineering report identified cracks and leaking of salt and water into the ceiling of the parking garage which increases the costs of garage repairs the longer rehabilitation work is deferred. The waterproof membrane must be replaced to rectify this situation. The physical design of site features, including the stage, fountain, stairs, ramps and damage to the paving surface present significant accessibility issues. The drainage infrastructure, particularly the trench drains, is in poor condition. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 6 - 1 Both the ice rink and fountain are original equipment and reaching the end of expected lifecycle. Replacement should be considered, as the fountain and ice rink were rated very favourably in feedback provided during public consultation for the master plan. Programming and events at City Hall have grown considerably and are expected to continue to expand in scale and variety of activities. The size and position of the stage and fountain impacts programming, limiting the usable area of the square for events. Draining the fountain for events is a labour and time intensive activity and necessitates blocking off part of the square to prevent trip and fall injuries due to the grade change. Feedback indicated citizen comfort and participation in events is impacted by a lack of shade. The resolution passed by Council in September 2016 recognized critical infrastructure repairs (surface concrete, trench drains, and parking garage membrane) as the first priority; that the replacement of the ice rink, fountain and stage should be considered concurrently with critical infrastructure replacements; and, that other infrastructure and functionality improvements should be deferred subject to funding availability. REPORT: The master plan was initiated in order to understand the current and future use of the outdoor areas and identify changes necessary to offer greater accessibility, operational efficiencies, programming options and sustainability.Through this process a preferred layout and overall vision and function for the outdoor spaces at City Hall was identified. The purpose of the functional design exercise was to validate the proposed design to meet accessibility, flexibility and programming needs andto further refine cost estimates. Functional design is required to ensure the vision identified in the master plan is constructible before spending significant time and resources on detailed design. Based on Council feedback, Carl Zehr Square was considered a higher priority than the Duke Street entrance, so the design work at this time has focused on the Carl Zehr Square areas. The functional design considered the constraints of the site and strategies to mitigate those challenges balanced with programming needs. The constraints include: A grade change across the square from City Hall to King St. The necessity of having a shallow, flat area for the rink Limited clearance above the garage slab to the surface of the square Existing building entrances on the west side of building (Open Sesame & washroom) A grade change along King St. from College to Young St. After accommodating all of the constraints the resulting profile allows for a seamless edge around the fountain basin with a riser or step necessary between the fountain /rink area and King St. While it is not a true zero edge fountain, the current fountain weir, which is a significant barrier for events and pedestrian traffic is proposed to be eliminated. Several design elements are also intended to address the site constraints and program considerations. For example, seat walls and signage will accommodate the grade changes and provide a functional aspect and eliminate trip hazards. 6 - 2 The water feature will create a shallow pool (50 mm maximum depth) with two adjacent lighted and variable height jet zones to provide an interactive element and a significant design feature. This can be easily and relatively quickly drained to accommodate different types of programming. The requirement for an outdoor skating rink is also included within this design. The proposed stage is a simple design offering improved barrier-free access for users and upgraded electrical connections. It is oriented on an angle towards Gaukel and King St, which allows for larger audiences and better sight lines than the current configuration. In addition, the reconfigured fountain area allows for larger temporary stages to be located near the front door to City Hall, creating a more flexible event space for a wider variety of events. To address the lack of shade concerns, an increased number and distribution of removable umbrellas have been incorporated into the functional design. Visual representations of the functional design can be found in Appendix A attached to this report. Essentially, the functional design exercise confirmed a slightly revised design can achieve the desired accessibility, programming, sustainability and flexibility goals. Based on the functional design, a revised cost estimate for Carl Zehr Square was prepared. By replacing the existing pedestal mounted concrete slabs with a poured in place concrete surface and revising some of the design elements like the stage size, the estimated costs for Carl Zehr Square have been reduced to $5.5 M from the estimated costs of $6.4M outlined in the master plan. The next phase of this project is to proceed to detailed design for Carl Zehr Square, the Duke St. area and adjacent sections on College and Young St. that will be impacted by the garage membrane replacement work. Due to the scale of the project, work will need to be completed over a minimum of two construction seasons. Carl Zehr Square and College St. will be undertaken in one phase, with Duke St. and Young St. being completed together. The combined cost for Carl Zehr Square and College St. is estimated to be $5.74M and the Duke and Young St. phase is estimated to be $3.27M. Additional cost efficiencies could be realized as detailed design is undertaken. Staff will develop a multi-year funding and implementation plan, including capital and operating funding requirements as part of the 2019 budget process.By completing detailed design, the City would be well-positioned to apply to any funding programs that may be - ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: Strategic Priority: Safe and Thriving Neighbourhoods Strategy: 3.6 Provide opportunities and support for citizens to lead the way in creating -being 6 - 3 by capitalizing on local community assets such as community centres, pools, arenas, parks trails and other public spaces. Strategic Priority: Strong and resilient economy Strategy: 2.5 Facilitate the ongoing development of Downtown Kitchener as the heart of the city. Strategic Priority: Sustainable environment and infrastructure Strategy: 4.5 Strengthen the capability and capacity within the organization to manage long-term. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: During the 2017 budget process, a capital budget was established for the City Hall Outdoor Spaces Master Plan design requirements. A balance of $478,000 is available. Staff estimates that this amount should be sufficient to complete the detailed design phase of work. Staff is not seeking any capital costs for the reconstruction phase at this time, which will be brought forward as part of the 2019 budget process. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM advance of the council / committee meeting. PREVIOUS CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER: Report INS 16-066 City Hall Outdoor Spaces Master Plan September 12, 2016 ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Justin Readman, Interim Executive Director - INS 6 - 4 Appendix A: 6 - 5