Avening Hall reno goes to tender
After months of planning and community consultation, the Avening Hall renovation is going to tender.
The exact cost of the accessibility renovation won’t be known until the tenders come in but officials already know that it will be well above the original estimate of $235,000, perhaps somewhere in the $475,000 range.
Last August, Avening Hall received a $110,000 grant from the federal government’s Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, which would have covered almost half of the original 2012 cost estimate.
As a result of the renovation, Avening Hall will be rendered wheelchair accessible with new washrooms and an elevator. Hall board chair Bill Hewitt said the cost of the elevator alone is around $80,000, not including the associated work.
CAO Steve Sage said meeting standards for accessibility and building code has driven up the price.
“These small projects are becoming the bane of our existence,” said Sage, adding there is detailed work needed to be compliant. “We are going to come forward with a game plan and not treat the halls as one-offs.”
He said accessibility was a big challenge at Avening Hall because “there is a step to get just about everywhere”.
Once involved in the planning process, Avening Hall board took the original drawings to the community and decided that rather than building an addition to the south side of the hall they would rather build out the back, to the east and redo the kitchen as well. Working with R.J. Burnside & Associates engineer Mina Tesseris, they came up with a plan that most people were happy with.
The existing washrooms will be removed and replaced with a 2,000 square foot addition. The bowling lanes and the main hall will remain untouched.
“The main hall will have its original character. The stage and everything will look the same,” said Hewitt.
There will be work done to improve the mechanics of the hall and make it more efficient, including a new heating and cooling system.
Hewitt said the hall board decided to take advantage of the renovation, with encouragement from township staff, and improve the kitchen, meeting health regulations for the processing of commercial products. It will have an eight-burner gas stove, double oven, industrial dishwasher, commercial cooler and freezer.
“Because we are doing more, the Avening Hall has committed to doing fundraising to support this project and we have set a fundraising goal of $100,000 in the next 12 years,” said Hewitt. “We will be starting a campaign in the near future to get this going. The building has to be done by April so we’ll be starting in the spring. We are hoping the public will support this and help by donating.”
He said they will also be looking for people to get involved with a fundraising committee.
“This group of volunteers do a great job, they are really committed,” said Deputy Mayor Barry Burton… “If anyone can raise the money I know they can.”
The goal is to start the renovation in October, right after the Small Halls Festival.
Trina Berlo photo: Avening Hall Board members Deputy Mayor Barry Burton (front, from left) and Bill Hewitt hold up plans for an accessibility renovation with Sara Hershoff (back, from left), MP Kellie Leitch, Lorie Awender and Tina Stephens. Leitch made the initial grant announcement in August 2015, which set the project in motion.
