The City of Langley spent more than $100,000 on project development costs for the Timms Community Centre renewal project and failed Community Hub concept, according to a staff report.
The $111,672, spent between Jan. 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2013, includes consulting fees, more than $80,000 in architect fees and engineering costs.
The report admits that the City did incur additional costs developing the Community Hub concept, which was abandoned in December, 2013, following nearly two years of negotiations with various community groups.
Originally, the plan had been to partner with community groups to occupy space in the building, creating a one-of-a-kind hub of community life, but negotiations with outside associations failed.
The report goes on to state that the City was able to re-use most of the Community Hub concept work for the current project architectural design, meaning no additional time was wasted.
Francis Cheung, chief administrative officer for the City, told council it was “money well spent.”
“Even though we didn’t pursue the Community Hub concept, at the end of the day those works were invaluable to this phase of the project,” he said.
“We’re in a new era,” said Councillor Dave Hall, who had originally requested that staff draft the report. “We’re excited about the progress that we’re making now.”
The project will soon go to an advisory panel, according to acting Mayor Ted Schaffer. “It’s coming. It’s just around the corner,” he said.
The Timms Community Centre budget sits at $14.3 million, which will include consulting and construction costs. Cheung told council Monday that staff expect no outstanding costs from the previous phase of the project’s development.
