Construction could start in spring on a new office building for the Town of Sylvan Lake.

A site has been chosen and a budget of $5.4 million established for the project, which must still meet council’s approval, assistant CAO Myron Thompson said this week.

Council plans to discuss the project at its next regular meeting and during committee meetings set for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28 and 29. Plans were shown during a recent public meeting, said Thompson.

A tentative location has been identified between the existing RCMP building and the Lion’s Legacy Park, he said.

“We’ve kind of always eyed that location . . . as a future site, mainly because it fits nicely into the downtown and, you know, (it has) a high profile and really sets the stage as you come into the downtown and it’s very accessible.”

The location was discussed with members of the Lion’s Club to ensure that they were familiar with the projects and its implications for the park.

The proposed two-storey building, at 11,000 square feet per floor, would encroach slightly onto the park. Ultimately, however, there will be only minor impact on the park and the project would create more green space at the site, said Thompson.

There will be some inconvenience to RCMP members and civilian staff through the loss of their existing parking lot, he said. Temporary access and parking will be provided at the west side of the RCMP building.

Town administration hopes to see construction started on a new RCMP building at the same time as the town hall project, he said.

The plan is to have the town building completed by the spring of 2010 with the new RCMP building, located at the south side of town, to be finished about six months later.

Sylvan Lake town staff and elected officials have been severely cramped in their 8,000-square-foot existing building, with some staff working from other facilities, said Thompson.

“We’re real bursting at the seams here, big time, and we have for quite some time.”

Space will increase dramatically in the new building, which will provide 22,000 square feet in total, plus a partial basement and minus about 700 square feet for the tourist information centre, he said.

Council has also asked if there is a possibility of adding a third floor in the future and whether Family and Community Support Services could also be moved in.

“We don’t want to build too big, because look at the cost. Each floor is about two and a half million dollars,” said Thompson.

Money for the project will come from a variety of sources, including municipal reserves, government grants and franchise fees from gas and electrical utilities the town had been collecting and setting aside, he said.

The RCMP building is estimated at $7.1 million, with part of the money to be borrowed. The town will pay up front for the RCMP, and recover part of the costs from the portion of the detachment that serves the rural area.

There is some possibility that actual construction costs on both projects could go down somewhat, because the estimates were made with a 1.5 per cent inflation factor built in. Signs are that construction companies are becoming more competitive in a flagging economy, said Thompson.

“We’re getting cold calls from contractors . . . so that tells me the industry is more hungry,” he said.

Contact Brenda Kossowan at bkossowan@reddeeradvocate.com