GORDON/BARRIE ISLAND—Gordon/Barrie Island council has accepted a tender for a major addition to the garage building on the same property where the township hall currently stands and for additional office space and council chambers added on to the building.
“We were looking at a request for proposals for a new garage building and office space-council chambers to be added to the current building (that will make the space handicapped accessible),” Lee Hayden, reeve of Gordon-Barrie Island, told the Recorder this past Sunday. He said that council, at a meeting last week, accepted one of the (two) bids for construction.
Council meetings are generally held on the main floor area of the Gordon, and when other groups are using the space at the same time, council currently holds its meeting in the upstairs area of the building. Council can hold meetings downstairs. Mayor Hayden pointed out the township had received funding from the Enabling Accessibility Fund to make the building (office space-council meeting quarters, which will be added on to the west side of the current building, accessible to everyone).
“With the additions being made we will be adding two bays on the (new) garage building,” said Reeve Hayden. He said the addition will benefit the municipality as it will be able to store its snow plow and other vehicles in the garage, saving on wear and tear from weather.
At a meeting last week council accepted the lower of two bids for construction, from Lakeside Building Company in the amount of $535,846 for both projects.
“As council we feel these additions to the building is an investment in keeping our vehicles-equipment in good shape and make the building accessible to everyone,” said Mayor Hayden.
Construction work is expected to be start in late June and it is hoped everything will be done in January, 2018.
