Special Issue: New Municipal Building

Special Issue: New Municipal Building
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014-0211 © Rocky View County
Manager, Communication Services:
Grant Kaiser, APR, P.Mgr.
Contributors:
Kent Robinson;
Amanda Bradley, BCMM
Design:
Tyler Williams, B.Des
Printing:
Apache Superior Printing
Vantage Point is published by Rocky
View County and delivered free of
charge to County households. Vantage
Point is also available online under the
News & Events tab at www.rockyview.ca.
If you are interested in submitting
articles or material for publication in
Vantage Point, please contact Rocky
View County Communication Services.
The New Municipal
Building Project
Over the past seven years
there have been over threedozen newspaper articles,
eight pages of Vantage Point
articles, a month-long open
house, and countless online
postings to inform County
residents about the plans for
a new Rocky View County
municipal building.
Rocky View County Council
wanted to provide residents
with one more opportunity to
understand the project and
provide input. That’s what
this special issue of Vantage
Point is all about.
On the following pages, you’ll
find information that will help
you understand the project,
who’s funding it, and why it’s
moving forward. After you’ve
had a look, we want to know
if you have any questions or
comments. Details on how
to provide your feedback are
provided on the last page.
Printed in Canada with environmentally
responsible ink on Forest Stewardship
Council certified recycled paper.
Rocky View County
Communications Services
911 – 32 Avenue NE
Calgary, AB, T2E 6X6
403-230-1401
www.rockyview.ca
General Rocky View County
contact e-mail:
[email protected]
Vantage Point contact e-mail:
[email protected]
© 2013 Rocky View County. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or reuse of any information in
this publication, in whole or part, without the
express written permission of Rocky View
County Communication Services is strictly
prohibited. While all reasonable care is taken
in the preparation of this publication, Rocky
View County cannot be held responsible for
unintentional errors or omissions.
Construction of the current municipal building was completed in 1978.
Rocky View County | 3
In a nutshell…
The project would see
the construction of a new
municipal building in the
Balzac area to replace the
out-dated and congested
building currently located in
Calgary. The new building
would be funded through a
Government of Alberta grant.
Once the new building is
completed, the old building
and land in Calgary would be
sold, and the proceeds from
the sale would go towards
future needs in the County,
such as roads, policing,
Why a New Building?
Rocky View County’s
municipal building is at the
end of its useful life, and
undersized for the needs
of the community.
The municipal building in
Calgary was opened in
1978, and planned to last
25 years. It was originally
designed for renovation and
expansion, but it no longer
meets the building code and
current standards for energy
efficiency, handicapped
access, etc.
Some of the issues with the
building include:
• Parts are difficult to find
for the building’s 35-yearold systems, dramatically
impacting the cost of
repairs and routine
maintenance.
4 | Vantage Point
fire services, recreation,
or any other services that
Rocky Viewers believe are
important. At this time, rough
estimates put the value of
the Calgary property at $15
million or more, but the real
value will be determined
when the property is sold
many years from now.
In summary, Rocky View
County receives a new
building and millions of
dollars, with costs borne
primarily by the Province.
• There are recurring mould
and insect infestation
issues due to the poor
exterior building envelope.
• Council Chambers weren’t
designed for audio-visual,
and the public often can’t
see presentations.
• The workspace was
developed in an age of
typewriters and adding
machines. The electrical
system is taxed by
computers, photocopiers,
and other modern
equipment.
• There is little space for
Rocky Viewers to meet
with their Councillors or
County staff.
• The building is in
need of major and
expensive repairs and
upgrades to plumbing,
telecommunications,
and other aging or outdated infrastructure.
• In winter, some spaces
in the building won’t heat
above 14 degrees. Space
heaters can’t be used
because of the out-dated
electrical system.
• The design does not
support efficient work flow
between departments, or
even within departments,
creating unnecessary and
time consuming delays.
• Large areas are
inaccessible to wheelchairs
and the mobility impaired.
• The building is undersized,
forcing the County to
lease additional space
at a significant annual cost
to taxpayers.
What are the goals of
the project?
What will the new
building be like?
In addition to addressing
the issues in “Why a New
Building?” the project has
these goals:
Designs are not completed
yet (see “Next Steps”), but
Rocky View County will not
be building a palace or an
architectural gem. This will
be a very practical building,
similar to what you would see
in any suburban business
park anywhere in the
world. Nothing fancy – just
good, practical workspace,
including:
• To have a County municipal
building that is actually in
the County.
• To eliminate the time
planners, safety inspectors,
peace officers, and other
County staff spend in
Calgary traffic before
getting into the County to
do their jobs.
• To improve overall
operational efficiency
by locating most of
the County’s various
operations at one location.
• To improve the service
provided to Rocky Viewers
(better parking, faster
response times, more
efficient service desks, etc.).
• To reduce staff turnover
by providing reasonable
workspaces that
accommodate
modern technology.
• To provide opportunities
to share building amenities
(meeting rooms, etc.)
with County-based
community groups.
• Council Chambers
• Public service counters
• Adequate public parking
• Washrooms
• Meeting space
• Office space
• Staff lunch room
• Store rooms, janitor’s
closets, and other
operation-related rooms
The new municipal building
will have roughly 37 percent
more space than the
buildings, leased offices, and
ATCO trailers the County
currently occupies.
MSI Projects
The funding provided by
the Province for the new
municipal building is part of
the Municipal Sustainability
Initiative program. This
outstanding Government
of Alberta program has
provided Rocky View
County with over $123
million for all kinds of
initiatives throughout
our communities. For a
complete list of all the
capital and operating
projects funded by the
program search for
“MSI Projects” at
www.rockyview.ca.
MSI funding is routinely
used for renovation and
new construction projects
for municipal buildings,
town halls, and city halls
throughout the province.
An average of nine Alberta
municipalities completed a
municipal building project
with MSI funding each year
over the past few years.
Who is paying for it?
The Government of Alberta,
through its Municipal
Sustainability Initiative
program, has approved
funding for the building and
provided the County with $32
million. This is the expected
cost of the building.
Rocky View County | 5
Municipal Building Project History
What steps have brought us here?
2008
2005
Work began on plans to expand
the building.
2003
The current Rocky View County municipal
building in Calgary reached the end of its
planned lifecycle.
2006
A consultant’s report found that
expansion was not feasible due to
significant architectural, mechanical,
electrical, and energy consumption
shortfalls in the structure.
An architectural firm reviewed the
existing building and provided a needs
assessment and spatial analysis. The
report detailed that about 9,300 m2
(100,000 sq. ft.) would be required to
accommodate Rocky View County’s
existing operations and future growth.
2009
Council approved the purchase of land
in Balzac with the purpose of moving
operations out of Calgary and into Rocky
View County.
After a month-long open house and a public
hearing, County Council approved a Master
Site Development Plan and land use redesignation for the new Balzac site. The
plan included a municipal building, public
works facilities, and a fire station. It also
set aside 20 acres for future community
recreation use, and outlined areas for
potential future business development.
Rocky View County applied to the Province
of Alberta for funding to build a fire station
on the new site. The Province approved
$10 million.
6 | Vantage Point
2014
The Province approved $32 million in
funding for a new municipal building.
County Council requested a final design
and more detailed cost estimates.
The new public works facility opened
at the Balzac site.
2011
Council approved moving forward with
preliminary design and costing for a new
municipal building and a public works facility.
In December, Council voted for additional
public engagement on the new municipal
building, prompting this special issue of
Vantage Point. Feedback will be provided
to Council.
2012
After reviewing preliminary design and
costing, County Council reduced the
planned size of the proposed municipal
building by 20 percent.
The fire hall opened at the Balzac site.
Rocky View County applied to the Province
of Alberta for funding to build a public works
facility on the Balzac site. The Province
approved $8.7 million.
The County applied to the Province
of Alberta for funding to build a new
municipal building.
Rocky View County | 7
What about the
sale of land?
Rocky View County currently
owns two sites for a municipal
building: the current site in
Calgary and the location for
the new building in Balzac.
Of course, the County only
needs one site.
Once the new municipal
building opens the County
can sell the Calgary site at
any time afterwards.
The money from any land
sales goes into the County’s
budget for use on any future
program or service.
What are the next
steps?
Rocky View County is
currently finalizing the
design of the building and
its cost. At this time, the
cost is estimated at $32
million, which is the amount
of money the Government of
Alberta will provide.
County Council will receive a
design and cost report in late
spring. If a new municipal
building can be built for
the money the province is
providing Council will vote
on going ahead.
If costs exceed $32 million,
Council can consider other
options, such as scaling
back the project or finding
additional funding.
If Council decides not to go
forward with a new municipal
building, the $32 million must
be returned to the Province.
The County can apply for the
funding again in the future
for this or other projects, but
with the current economic
climate it is uncertain when
the money might be made
available again.
Your Questions and Comments
The new municipal building is a
major project, and we couldn’t put
every bit of information into this
special issue of Vantage Point and
expect you to spend days reading
it. We tried to summarize all the
important points, but if there’s
something we missed that you want
to know about, just ask. And we
want to hear your comments.
If you have any questions, or would
like to provide your feedback to
County Council on the project, write
to us at [email protected].
We’d appreciate your comments
as soon as possible, ideally before
March 19, 2015.