Mapleton council has authorized township staff to retain the services of VG Architects, The Ventin Group, for the design of the renovations for the Maryborough Community Centre at a maximum cost of $88,000 plus HST.
The township was successful in obtaining grant funding through the Ontario 150 Community Capital Grant Program for the renovations.
The total project budget is $526,000 with $249,800 funded by the Ontario 150 Community Capital Program and funding of $10,000 is pending through the Wellington County Accessibility Grant Program. The remainder of funding, $266,700, will flow through the township’s 2017 capital budget.
Council approved a recommendation from an evaluation committee to accept the proposal from VG Architects at the March 28 meeting.
The evaluation committee, made up of the township CAO, public works director and manager of assets and infrastructure, selected the proposal from five submitted.
The committee noted in a report that VG Architects offers:
– strong local experience;
– strong experience in community centres in rural areas;
– the highest collective years of experience among submitters;
– highest value added solutions in the group; and
– excellent understanding of the project.
Councillor Lori Woodham asked “when, or are we, going to have any conversations on what the renovations look like?”
Woodham noted she had heard from a group hoping to have a shuffleboard court be installed as part of the project.
“First of all lets get the consultant on board and let them establish the sort of consultation process that has to happen,” suggested CAO Brad McRoberts, noting the township should take care “not to take this and have it mushroom out to some mega project.”
McRoberts noted the original discussions for the project centre on cosmetic repairs, improvements to washrooms and accessibility.
“I just want to make sure we’re not taking on this project and all of a sudden it mushrooms out into trying to be everything under the sun,” he stated.
A motion to accept the VG proposal was approved unopposed.
