Bonnyville residents could soon have access to 49 Ave., as construction to the new town hall nears completion.
The Town of Bonnyville is still unsure when they'll be able to move into their new facility, but work on the outside of the building is coming to a close as the project reaches its home stretch.
“Construction wise, we're definitely in the later phases. There are things like the millwork in the council chambers, and minor electrical and plumbing that needs to be finished off. We're hoping the building itself will be finished sometime within four to six weeks,” detailed assistant CAO Bill Rogers.
Most of the remaining work is minor tasks to bring the facility up to the town's safety standard, and will be completed inside the building. Town staff expects crews to be able to move all of their equipment inside within four to six weeks, allowing full access to 49 Ave.
Due to the turn in weather, demolition of the old facility and the instillation of the new parking lot has been postponed until spring. The town hopes to be utilizing their new facility long before that, but they won't be rushing themselves in the door.
“The work we have left is minor in the grand scheme of things, like a doorway to a stairwell for example, but that needs to be there before we can occupy the building for safety reasons,” Rogers noted. “The last thing we want to do is be running around while there are workers in secure areas. We want to move in when the building is done.”
When the new facility opens, the town will not only have more space for administration and council to operate, they will also be providing the community with a new asset. With more room to maneuver, the town will expand the public meeting room it currently offers.
They'll have the ability to provide space for meetings of 50 to 60 people, extending the use of the facility past town staff.
“We've been busting at the seams for several years. This gives us room to work and expand for the future, but it's also going to provide new meeting facilities. We're excited for the new community room that will be available for public functions, and a few other features. When it's done, I think the building will benefit not only the town, but all of our residents,” expressed Rogers.
To this point in the project, the town has managed to remain in line with both their original schedule and budget. Crews will be on their toes for the next few weeks as they try to wrap the project up in the same fashion.
“We're working hard to finish the project on schedule and on budget and it looks like that's what we're going to do. They don't know exactly when, but we should be in there sometime within the next several weeks,” said Rogers.
