Posted Feb 8, 2008, 2:17 PM
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It's Hammer Time
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 20,364
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City can back Lister Block, Education Centre, mayor says
By Richard Leitner
Mayor Fred Eisenberger says the city has enough staff to move into both a refurbished Lister Block and a massive development proposed at the downtown Education Centre.
While the city has previously proposed relocating its health department to the Lister Block, the Education Centre redevelopment is a "perfect fit" because it would also include a McMaster University family medicine centre, he said.
"There's obviously a direct synergy between family medicine and public health," Mr. Eisenberger said.
"We would look for other city staff (for the Lister Block). There's a thousand other staffers that are outside of the old city hall building that still need to be accommodated somewhere, that are at various locations and at various times the leases come up."
A concept plan unveiled by the city last month calls for the leveling of the landmark Education Centre to make way for the medical centre, two hotels and new headquarters for both the board and city health department.
The proposal -- which doesn't yet have a price tag -- is one of two options that will be considered as part of a business plan to be presented to Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board trustees in April.
The other would see the board sell the site and relocate administrative offices to a new building at Jerome Park on the West Mountain that would also house maintenance staff and a training centre.
Estimated at $33 million, this option would allow the board to close six former schools also used for administration, including specialists and maintenance personnel.
"I would like the school board to stay downtown. I think it's important. I think we need that kind of critical mass," Mr. Eisenberger said.
"To have it move off onto the Mountain or something just personally doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I also understand the economic issues they have to deal with. I think the downtown plan should work for them economically as well."
The mayor said demolishing the 41-year-old Education Centre, located at the northwest corner of Main and Bay streets, isn't a big issue for him.
"Fifty years old isn't exactly terribly old and it's not terribly historic, either" he said.
"This whole concept, the benefit in terms of tax dollars, rejuvenation, bringing high-end jobs downtown, you put that all together, I think that overrides a 50, 55-year-old building."
Trustee Ray Mulholland, who voted against proceeding with the move or redevelop options, said the city's plan "could work with some modifications."
He calls the idea of two hotels "a little bit stretched," but questions spending money on new accommodations for administrative staff when there are so many pressing needs for school repairs and new schools, especially in Winona and Waterdown.
"This board should get their priorities straight, and it's not building new Taj Mahals or ivory towers," Mr. Mulholland said, suggesting the $33-million figure may balloon.
"It's either going to be $55-60 million because of something we do that's stupid or we're going to lowball it and spend $20 million and do nothing."
Regardless of which option the board chooses, it will need to make a business case to the Ministry of Education for funding.
Mr. Mulholland said if the board gets $10 million for the Education Centre site and another $3 million for some of the other administration buildings, it will still have to borrow at least $20 million.
He said he'd prefer to see the board use existing space better and direct money to new high schools, including at Jerome Park.
Computer technicians at the Memorial building in Ancaster could be relocated to schools where they do their work, for instance, as could speech therapists, social workers and other specialists, he said.
"Along the way I think we've lost our sight of exactly why we're there, and that's to spend the funding on the students," he said. "We're spending too much time trying to tear down our head office when there's much more important issues."
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