Renovations approved for the Whalen building and more

THUNDER BAY -- On Monday night, council rubber stamped a $967,280 price tag to renovate the interior of the Whalen building and city hall.

Council also approved a recommendation from administration to award the contract to DRD Construction with a construction contingency in the amount up to $96,000.

The project financing will also be bumped up to a minimum of $280,581 from the city’s capital general reserve fund.

The plans for city hall include renovating 3,150 square-feet and will include a fully accessible public counter, an interview room, seven enclosed offices, open office space to accommodate seven workstations, a coffee room and a library area, as well as infrastructure improvements.

In the Whalen building, renovations will start on two suites, which will provide space for nine enclosed offices, open office space for eleven modular workstations, a work area for water meter inspectors, an accessible public counter, a meeting room/staff lunch room and infrastructure upgrades.

The city expects construction to begin in August, with completion by February 2025.

Thunder Bay city hall was built in 1965, and underwent a major exterior renovation in 2009, when a three-storey addition was built at the entrance.

The Whalen building is a designated heritage structure and was built in 1913. It has undergone numerous interior renovations over the years, most recently in 2013.

Any proposed renovations to the building must be reviewed by the local Heritage Advisory Committee.