Gananoque council has approved a makeover for the town hall.
The historic structure is 185 years old. It was originally built as a private home and now some believe it is too small to serve as a town hall, is outdated and not accessible.
It could cost up to $3 million for the upgrades, which include an expansion to the back of the building, nearly doubling its current size.
Before the council voted in favour of the project, about a dozen community members gathered outside of the emergency services building which was the setting for the council meeting.
“It needs work. But it doesn’t need 9,106 square feet of it,” said protester Robin Warren. “That’s too massive for a small town.”
“By the time they finish up everything, it’s going to be four, five, six million dollars. And who’s paying for it? We are. And we can’t afford that kind of stuff,” said Ed Dempster, another concerned resident.
During Warren’s address to council, she discussed her displeasure with what she calls a lack of community input. That was an opinion that was echoed by several others who also voiced their concerns to council and staff. But it wasn’t enough to sway council or the mayor.
“I know people don’t want to hear this but we’ve had so many discussions. It’s been on the agenda several times. We’ve looked at the alternatives. Nobody wants to kick out the daycare with the Kinsmen,” said Coun. Jan Hayes.
Gananoque Mayor Erika Demchuk said the building is simply unsafe for staff and the upgrades must be done.
“We need to get staff out of places where they’re not supposed to be and yes we need all of that space,” said Demchuk.
It is unclear when construction will begin on the addition but the latest designs for the expansion include more functional spaces for meetings and offices and a brand new council chambers.
Comments