The South Wellington Community Centre conversion project is getting its budget boosted by more than $1 million.
Regional District of Nanaimo directors gave the green light for an extra $1.3 million to go to the project budget, increasing the price tag to $2.8 million, at a meeting Dec. 12. The former Nanaimo-Ladysmith district school shuttered in 2013, but the RDN and school district entered into a 25-year lease in 2022 with the intention of utilizing the space as a centre for community use. Rather than making lease payments, the RDN will pay for remediation work.
The building is situated in RDN Electoral Area A and the $1.3 million would come from the area’s community works fund. In an e-mail, Dean Banman, RDN manager of recreation services, recreation and parks, said the addition of money was necessary as the scope of the project is clearer now.
“The initial assessments done were non-invasive and more detailed planning is now complete,” he said. “In addition, inflation has increased the cost to do the work and now includes work to be done that complies with the RDN’s strategic priorities.”
These include the RDN’s priorities in the 2023-26 strategic plan, green building policy, as well as the regional district’s commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, according to staff.
Approximately $100,000 has been spent on the project thus far and Banman said the money has been spent on professional services in reviewing the condition of the building’s critical systems like water, septic, fire alarms and suppression, seismic, new design and hazardous material removal and developing a hazardous material management plan for use now that people are in the building preparing for construction and during construction.
Electrical connection work and delivery of mechanical equipment could take up to 10 months, noted staff, and to avoid delays, directors also approved a motion waiving board approval for construction contracts.
The building site includes 9,100 square feet of indoor space, 5,900 square feet of storage and an outdoor covered area, noted the report.
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