By Pepper Parr
February 13tjh, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Jim Thomson – a regular city council delegator.
We got a note from Jim Thomson who commented on the questions that were being raised about just how much space is there at the former Bateman High School and how will the use of the space be divided between the various tenants.
At the Standing Committee last week, no one seemed to be certain as to just what there was and who would be using the space at the Centre
Thomson got back to us with the following:
There are detailed floor plans for Bateman. (RCC-10-23 Appendix B)
The areas in green on the ground floor are the areas that Denise Beard. Manager of Community Development, is saying are available for community groups to get part of.
The areas in green on the second floor are areas that Brock has an option on for five years, thus aren’t available to community groups at this time.
The available space has been well defined since December 2022.
The Memorandum to Council with detail on how the available space was being distributed was, said Thomson “actually requested by Councillor Kearns. Adding that “Maybe the Deputy Mayor for Community Engagement should have attended one of the visioning sessions.”
Overall, advises “the City will be increasing the facility owned portfolio of community accessible program space by approx. 118,700 Square Feet (Net) for Phase 1 and Phase 2, combined.”
What the City should be doing is preparing detailed illustrations showing who is going to use what in the way of space. There are a few illustrations but they don’t provide a bigger picture that makes a clear understanding possible.
