The Town of Georgina is moving forward with building a replacement Civic Centre with an updated total project budget of $50 million. Council approved the 44,600-square-foot building which will provide for the Town’s staffing and public needs today and in the future. It will also be designed with a focus on energy efficiency and sustainability.
“A lot of time, effort and research has gone into the decision to build a replacement Civic Centre,” said Mayor Margaret Quirk. “Building an administrative centre is not a popular move in any municipality, for residents or Council. However, the status quo is not an option for us any longer. The current Civic Centre has reached its life expectancy, and has many key building systems and issues that affect everyday use. We have a strong financial plan that supports this project, we have planned for it and this is the best option for our growing community.”
The replacement Civic Centre will be an inclusive, fully accessible building that will provide a healthy and safe environment to all who enter its doors. It is anticipated to have a staff capacity of approximately 125 with 22 shareable office spaces and up to 10 smaller collaboration/meeting rooms. With the Town’s Flex Work Arrangements Policy, this new Civic Centre can be expected to meet the Town’s needs well into the future.
In January of this year, Council approved creating a replacement Civic Centre reserve and associated financial plan to fund the project. It will be funded by using existing annual reserve contributions that have been set aside previously for the purpose of replacing facilities, as well as the annual infrastructure levy for 2023 and 2024 only. The Town started a dedicated infrastructure levy in 2018 for the specific purpose of ensuring that there is a sustainable funding source in order to reduce funding gaps relating to roads, parks, and facilities. This was done with the goal of ensuring that the Town continues to provide high-quality services to residents by delivering on the capital projects in the 10-year capital plan.
The process of building a new standalone replacement Civic Centre began in March 2018, when Council approved the construction of a new building to be located on site within the present Civic Centre campus.
To learn more about the replacement Civic Centre project, visit georgina.ca/CivicCentre.