MONTAGUE, P.E.I. — The design for the municipality's new administration building is "first-class," says Mayor Edward MacAulay.
"It's going to be a nice venue."
The building is set to replace Montague's old town hall, which burned down in an overnight fire in August 2018 – around the same time that Montague was amalgamating with surrounding municipalities to become Three Rivers.
AT A GLANCE
Montague Fire Department responded to a fire at the old town hall shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 2, 2018.
The roof of the 31-year-old building was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. Some documents and items were salvageable, but the building had to be demolished.
The cause of the fire was reported as accidental.
Since forming its own council, Three Rivers has held council meetings in community spaces, such as the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre in Montague and Kings Playhouse in Georgetown. But the new building, which was discussed during a recent meeting at the Wellness Centre, would give council and staff their own space to work from.
Jill Walsh, Three Rivers' chief administrative officer, said the 6,000-square-foot design would be constructed on the same site of the old town hall at 24 Queens Rd. Inside, it would feature a council chamber, two committee meeting rooms, and office space for staff and the mayor.
One of its most notable features on the outside, facing Main Street, is a lighthouse-inspired tower.
"(It) won't light up with a giant bulb inside, like a real lighthouse. It will be lit from the outside," Walsh told The Guardian. "The building is a unique design."
The Queens Road side would be green space, while the parking lot and main entrance would be set behind the building. The current plan is for the parking lot to attach to Fraser Street, but negotiations are ongoing with the province and nearby property owners as to how that can be laid out, Walsh said.
In Three Rivers' five-year capital budget, $1.4 million was allocated toward the new project. While the administration building's design could change, it's estimated to cost about $1.6 million, Walsh said.
"And then on top of that would come the costs of site work, contingencies and architectural fees."
Walsh is hoping for a development application to go through Three Rivers' planning board and council by the end of the year. If approved, construction could start by spring, with the hope being to have it finished by mid-2022, she said.
MacAulay noted a significant portion of the cost would be covered by insurance from the former Montague hall. As well, the building won't necessarily act as the municipality's official town hall because there are other Three Rivers communities that council wants to consider constructing it in.
"(But) it may become a town hall at some time," he said.
Daniel Brown is a local journalism initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/dnlbrown95
