Comment 66998

By MattJelly (registered) - website | Posted July 27, 2011 at 18:15:07 in reply to Comment 66994

The Board considered several options- one of them included renovation of the building, as well as adding an additional building to the site, and underground parking, all for $65 Million. This option was rejected. The board has 7 administrative buildings scattered around the City, and the purpose of renovating or relocating would be to consolidate those offices all under one roof.

I'm looking for the report that contained the option to restore and add-on to the property. I'd like to see a breakdown of costs- how much of the $65 Million was supposed to be for renovating the building, how much for the additional structure and underground parking?

What it tells me is that a renovation of the Board of Ed may be cheaper than we think, when you subtract the cost of underground parking.

You're right- it's a shame the Board decided not to stay in this building and add to it- it was built for them, and the City gave them the land for free in the first place.

About a week or two ago, I asked Ward 11+12 Trustee Alex Johnstone what she thought about it. Here was her response:

"My take is that I think the building is beautiful, historical and has a fantastic location being right down town. That said, HWDSB is in the business of education - not preserving historical sites - that's the city's role. With finite resources and funding from the province, we have to make decisions that will save us money so that we can make up for underfunding and offer Hamilton's student's the best possible programming."

So basically, they can't afford to redevelop the building at 100 Main Street West. It's really too bad- although I'm sure the chain stores at Limeridge Mall will enjoy the influx of new workers to their neighbourhood.

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