HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-11-032 - Boathouse Interior and Exterior RenovationsREPORT TO:Council
DATE OF MEETING:
January 16, 2012
SUBMITTED BY: Rod Regier, Executive Director
PREPARED BY:
Rod Regier, Pauline Houston
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: December 31, 2011
REPORT NO.:
CAO-11-32
SUBJECT: Boat House Interior and Exterior Renovation Options
RECOMMENDATION:
That the following recommendations be tabled to enable consultation with the Victoria
Park Neighbourhood Association the Victoria Park Working Group, and the current
Boathouse operator and that they be brought forward for Council consideration and
approval on February 6, 2012;
That the Victoria Park Lake Boathouse improvements identified as Option # 2 Report
CAO 11-030 be undertaken using the $500,000 provision in the 2012 Capital Budget to
secure the Boathouse as a City of Kitchener asset which is suitable for use as a cultural
and commercial venue;
That lease revenue and/or energy savings from this property be allocated to fund the
$109,000 shortfall under Option #2 over the term of the lease;
That tenant specific upgrades, such as the relocation of the kitchen, should be financed
by the operator subject to the negotiation of a satisfactory long-term lease.
BACKGROUND:
The Victoria Park Boat House was constructed in 1968. For many years its primary function was
to serve as a rental facility for the boats provided on Victoria Lake during the summer and as a
skating change room during the winter. In the 1990’s the City of Kitchener was approached by
an interested party to open a music/concession venue in the Boathouse called the “Tearoom”.
That particular use struggled financially and the rental agreement was assigned to Mr. Kevin
Doyle. The building has operated successfully since that time as an independent music venue.
Victoria Park is considered the City’s “Crown Jewel”; and it provides very important social,
cultural and recreational functions for the local community and the entire City. In 2003, the
Victoria Park Foundations Plan and Strategic Plan were developed to guide the future and long
term improvements for Victoria Park. This plan identified restoration of the landscape around
the Boathouse as a significant priority. It did not address the interior requirements of the boat
house or the operating framework of the facility.
î ó ï
Building Maintenance History
Over the past 30 years, the City of Kitchener has engaged in basic building maintenance.
1981-82 – Window replacement, exterior brick repairs and pointing
1994-95 – Public washroom floors replacement, walls tiled, new fixtures installed
1997 – (Heating) new boiler installed
1999 – Minor kitchen cabinets/shelving upgrades
2004-05 – Major flood- building flood damage cleaned/or repaired/new floor installed
2006 – Air Conditioning installed
2007 – Sound attenuation measures to address neighborhood concerns over noise
It is noteworthy that the interior configuration of the building and exterior patio have not been
modified since the building was constructed. The building shell remains un-insulated. The
kitchen configuration was originally designed to support an exterior concession window rather
than the current interior entertainment venue. It has significant design deficiencies which detract
from its effectiveness and the quality of the venue. The exterior patio has become unsafe and is
planned for replacement during the reconstruction of Victoria Lake.
In December 2011, work commenced on Victoria Lake. 2011 tendered drawings for the Victoria
Park Lake Improvements included the reestablishment of the lake edge behind the boathouse
along with the restoration and reinstatement of landscaping along the sides of the boathouse
which is currently being used as a construction access point into the lake. The landscaping on
the tendered drawings took into account the public input from the Victoria Park Lake
Improvements public consultation process, the 2003 Victoria Park Strategic plan and the
existing landscape improvements which have occurred within the park over the past several
years. The overall tendered prices that came in for the Victoria Park Lake Improvements were
significantly higher than budgeted. In an attempt to meet the funding that was available, the
boathouse dock and patio improvements as well as the upper lake pedestrian bridge items were
removed from the tendered and provisional items list.
In October 2011, Council supported the continued use of the Boathouse as a cultural venue for
independent music and directed an analysis of required upgrades to the building to support this
use. The following report outlines the required work and potential costs of various options for
both the exterior and interior of the Boathouse.
REPORT:
As requested by council on November 14, 2011 please find below a review of options for
internal and external renovations to the Boathouse for council consideration.
Exterior Landscaping
The original boathouse landscaping, proposed as part of the 2011 Victoria Park Lake
Improvements tendered drawings, included the landscaping at the rear of the boathouse up to
the lake edge and the restoration of the west and east side of the boathouse. The landscaping
incorporated a public boardwalk, private patio with an armour stone planter separating the two
uses, concrete unit paver surfacing for the patio and walkways adjacent to the boathouse,
raised planting beds along the sides of the boathouse, along with new asphalt pathways
connecting the new landscape with the existing pathways and front landscape of the boathouse.
As part of this report the entire landscaping around the boathouse has been incorporated,
including the rear of the boathouse up the lake edge, both sides of the boathouse and the front
of the boathouse up to Jubilee Drive.
î ó î
Option 1 (Attachment #1): This option includes a 4m wide boardwalk along the lake edge,
concrete unit paving around the boathouse, a private patio at the rear of the boathouse, and
various raised planters. Between the lake edge and the rear of the boathouse, an armour stone
planter creates an aesthetically pleasing separation barrier between the public walkway and
private patio, and also provides seating for the public along the entire length of boardwalk. The
front of the boathouse incorporates planting beds to soften the exterior of the building, provides
a vehicular lay-by and a safe pedestrian crossing on Jubilee Drive.
Estimated Cost: $500,000
Option 2 (Attachment #2): This option is the same as option 1 but with the removal of the 4m
wide boardwalk and the armour stone planter between the walkway and patio. The boardwalk
will be replaced with a 3m wide asphalt walkway. A railing will be installed along the walkway to
provide a safe barrier from the lake. An armour stone seat wall is provided along the lake edge
between the walkway and patio.
Estimated Cost: $375,000
Option 3 (Attachment #3): The option removes additional concrete unit pavers from around the
boathouse and replaces it with asphalt paving, with the exception of the patio and door
entrances. The raised planters around the boathouse have been removed and replaced with at-
grade planting beds. An armour stone seat wall is provided along the lake edge between the
walkway and patio.
Estimated Cost: $250,000
Interior Renovations
Interior renovations are required to ensure the building is able to meet the separate obligations
and needs of the landlord and those of the tenant. The landlord is generally required to provide
a secure and efficient building shell, including accessible entrance and basic services such as
washrooms and electrical, mechanical and plumbing services stubbed off for tenant lease hold
improvements. The tenant is generally obliged to finish the interior space to meet their specific
operating requirements. These upgrades generally include operationally specific mechanical
and electrical, trade fixturing, millwork, interior partitions and production facilities such as
kitchens. In most cases of a single purpose building, the tenant is responsible for the cost of
utilities and maintenance and the landlord is responsible to ensure the maintenance of the
exterior building shell and entrance facilities.
Facilities management met with the Boathouse tenant Mr. Doyle and identified a list of potential
work to address building deficiencies and improve operating efficiency. An external architect
was then contracted to develop a cost estimate of the potential works. The work fell into three
basic categories: washroom and accessibility upgrades, kitchen relocation, and electrical and
mechanical. It should be noted that of the categories, all but the kitchen relocation would
normally be associated with the provision of a serviceable commercial building shell suitable for
tenant occupancy and upgrading. The City of Kitchener will need to address these issues
whether the current use continues or the building is used for some other purpose in the future.
Boathouse Rental Property – Landlord Requirements and Tenant Inducements
In the case of the Boathouse, short-term landlord responsibilities fall into three areas: meeting
current accessibility standards, providing an energy efficient building envelope, and the
î ó í
provision of secure, functional washroom facilities and mechanical rough-ins. Estimates of the
costs to establish these features are listed below. As standard landlord responsibilities, these
upgrades are independent of the potential use or tenant and are required to deliver a building
that can meet the conditions of the current commercial rental market. In the case of
accessibility, current standards are a legislated requirement and the City has no choice but to
address current deficiencies. In the case of the interior insulation, the un-insulated building shell
would not meet current City of Kitchener standards for environmental stewardship. Kitchener is
currently responsible for the utility costs for the building. Providing an insulated shell would
provide a potential payback through reduced utility Isolating the washrooms and ensuring their
effective operation is a standard landlord responsibility and would be required by any tenant or
City of Kitchener run operation.
Building Exterior Budget including contingencies and HST
Accessibility $ 36,000
Building Shell Budget including contingencies and HST
Interior insulation and mechanical rough-ins $110,000.
Building Interior Budget including contingencies and HST
Washrooms requirements $ 89,000
Total Landlord upgrades $234,000
Specialty Tenant Interior Requirements
As noted above, the existing kitchen was constructed to serve a seasonal concession stand.
The current and proposed use require a fully operational commercial kitchen. In addition, the
relocation of the kitchen to the east side of the building, currently used for storage, would
increase patron seating, improve the presentation of the interior space to Boathouse clients and
significantly improve operational efficiency. This move would allow for the construction of
efficient walk-in refrigeration capacity, and dramatically improve the efficiency of the building as
a whole. It is anticipated that these efficiencies would result in the ability of the operation to
finance the improvements over a reasonable period. These works are normally the responsibility
of a tenant in a standard commercial lease, subject to landlord approval, and will be dealt with
accordingly in this case.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
Kitchener City Council recently affirmed the role of the Boathouse as a strategic cultural asset in
the support of the City’s independent music industry. It further reaffirmed this role in the
Kitchener Economic Development Strategy 2011. A full cluster strategy for the independent
music industry in Kitchener has been initiated and a stakeholder consultation is expected to
begin in the late winter or early spring, 2012.
î ó ì
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Both interior and exterior renovation projects have alternatives based on the scope of the
renovation. This allows the estimation of three financial scenarios (high, medium and low) for
the total project cost. The 2012 City of Kitchener Budget has a capital allocation of $500,000 to
complete exterior and interior renovations of the Boathouse.
Total Cost Summary
Option 1: Exterior Renovations Option 1 $500,000
Interior Renovations $234,000
Estimate: $734,000
Option 2: Exterior Renovations Option 2. $375,000
Interior Renovations $234,000
Estimate: $609,000
Option 3: Exterior Renovations Option 3 $250,000
Interior Renovations $234,000
Estimate: $484,000
Under option #2 (recommended) there is a shortfall of $109,000 attributed to the installation of
the interior insulation.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
During the Victoria Park Lake Improvements process, various public information centre
meetings were held. During these meetings, the public provided input regarding the boathouse
dock and public access to the lake edge. The tender drawings reflected the information
gathered from the public information centres with the continuous trail adjacent to the boathouse
patio.
In September 2011, Kitchener received input from over 200 members of the public regarding the
use of the Boathouse as a venue for independent music. The proposed program responds to in
part to the input received during that process. Additional feedback is now required to inform
Council’s decision on the options for both interior and exterior renovations to the Boathouse and
its immediate surroundings. As a result, between January 17 and January 27, the proposed
interior and exterior renovation options will be taken into a consultation with the Victoria Park
Working Group, Victoria Park Neighbourhood Association and advocates for the Boathouse. In
addition, information gathered from recent public consultations regarding the Downtown
Strategic Plan will be evaluated as they relate to this issue.
CONCLUSION:
The Boathouse is a City of Kitchener facility which has been repurposed several times during
over the past 44 years. The City as landlord is responsible for basic maintenance of the building
shell and core services. The effective utilization of the building as a cultural and entertainment
venue requires structural and systems improvements to continue its function and meet
î ó ë
increasingly demanding operating standards. A number of the systems currently in place, such
as building accessibility or washroom access, require upgrading. The kitchen was originally
designed as a concession stand facility, but has been serving a restaurant with a capacity of 85
persons. The exterior decking has deteriorated to the point of being unsafe and has now been
removed. These basic facilities are considered within the responsibility of a landlord and need to
be addressed.
The proposed interior and exterior programs address the key deficiencies and set the stage for
the Boathouse as a sustainable commercial operation and a significant contributor to the
cultural life of the city. All suggested exterior facility accessibility upgrades shall be reviewed
and approved by the Heritage Committee prior to commencing.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Carla Ladd
î ó ê
î ó é
î ó è
î ó ç