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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2005-12-15 KPL/CENTRE BLOCK PROJECT COMMITTEE MINUTES December 15, 2005 City of Kitchener KPL/Centre Block Project Committee met this date, commencing at 8:30 a.m., Chaired by Carla Ladd with the following members present: Hans Gross, Rod Regier, Ray Robinson, Sonia Lewis, Bruce MacNeil, Marty Schreiter, Silvia Wright, Larry Gordon, Jana Miller and Sandy Curzon Approval of Minutes 1. On motion by Sonia Lewis, it was resolved that the minutes of December 8, 2005 be accepted and posted on the city’s website www.city.kitchener.on.ca ? Clarity around the amount of information required in minutes was discussed. Project Committee were asked whether or not more detail was required, bearing in mind that some discussions can be difficult when determining what is recorded. It was also noted that the process of approving minutes is consistent with that of all advisory committees, whereby it is up to the Committee members to approve the minutes as recorded by the Recording Secretary. Changes are discussed, approved and then amended at the next scheduled meeting date. There was a consensus from members present that the manners in which the minutes have been recorded in the past were acceptable. Action: ? Committee agreed that the approval process and presentation style of minutes would continue without any changes. 2.KPL’s Project Updates 2.1Essential List of Objectives ? S. Lewis provided Project Committee with a list of draft objectives, which she indicated are a ‘work in progress’, scheduled to be further discussed by KPL Board’s Facilities Committee in early January. ? Project Committee were given an overview of KPL’s Objectives, the following are suggested changes: ? #3 – revisit requirements after parking study completed ? #6 – to be refined ? #9 – how reasonable is it to expect natural light “on all sides of the building”? allow as much light as possible Possible rewording “Must on all sides of the building.” It was noted that natural light has no affect at night. ? #13 – it was suggested that temporary and permanent partnerships be explored, such as bookshops, café and school boards ? #15 – it was suggested to provide the square footage required for expansion and a to allow for expansion possible rewording “be structurally capable upward two additional floors”. ? #18 – concern was raised that LEED certification may put the project over budget. Project Committee agreed that LEED needs to be financially feasible KPL/Centre Block Project Committee Page 1 of 3 Minutes: December 15, 2005 Action: ? KPL objectives to be brought back to Project Committee at a later date when they will be compared to with the City’s objective for further refining of both ? LEED presentation on what provides payback/indirect savings was suggested, however not confirmed 2.2Central Library Cost Estimates ? Updated cost estimates, prepared by Hanscomb Inc. for KPL, were presented for discussion. The original estimate, done in 2004, for the 130,000 square foot central library was $44-$51 million. These costs applied to an assumed construction date of 2006. ? It is now anticipated that construction will not start until the fall of 2007 (earliest), thus the estimated cost are expected to climb to $63-$78 million. It was expressed that the estimated library costs were not just for construction, that they included parking, furnishings, technology, equipment, moving expenses, etc. ? The costing estimates presented today were for the sole purpose of comparing projected construction costs (for 2008) with those provided in the original business case in 2004 3.Centre Block Components 3.1Objectives Action: ? Deferred to next meeting 3.2Outstanding Action Items ? Traffic Impact Study – the current study indicates putting 380 parking spaces on the Centre Block site with no negative impact on any of the road boundaries. It was determined that another study could be taken during the evaluation of the final two proponents based on the number of parking spaces they are proposing. ? Environmental Assessment – has been awarded to Frontline and is expected to be completed by the end of January 3.3Design Brief ? R. Mounsey provided a power point presentation on the planning approval process and how it relates to the design brief process for Centre Block. Action: ? R. Mounsey to report back to a future meeting a more detailed and specific options available based on the existing zoning for Centre Block. 4.Other Business 4.1 Kaufman Steam Engine ? A PowerPoint presentation of the Kaufman Steam Engine ‘Hazel’ was made to the Facilities Planning and Building Committee of the KPL Board by Erina Harris. Although the Board supports the project, the decision not to place the steam engine in the new central library came down to its size and weight as well as safe & health KPL/Centre Block Project Committee Page 2 of 3 Minutes: December 15, 2005 concerns. Project Committee felt that a more appropriate permanent home for Hazel would be the Regional Heritage Museum Action: ? Project Committee agreed to receive a hard copy of the PowerPoint presentation and a copy of KPL’s Facilities Planning and Building Committee Report as information items ? Alternate locations for ‘Hazel’ will be discussed with Arts & Culture staff nd 4.2 December 22 Agenda Action: nd ? Project Committee agreed to cancel the scheduled meetings for December 22 and thth 29 and reconvene January 5. Meeting was adjourned at 10:00 am Next Scheduled Meeting: Thursday, January 5th @ 8:30am – 10:30 am Conestoga Room, Main Floor, City Hall KPL/Centre Block Project Committee Page 3 of 3 Minutes: December 15, 2005