Cranbrook city Council will be meeting at the manual training school beside the public library while renovations are done to council chambers.
City staff say significant and long overdue upgrades and renovations to the south wing of city hall and council chambers will begin in early May.
The project is not being funded through local tax dollars.
The construction work is being paid for by a $1.51 million grant provided by both the Government of Canada and the province.
“We have a great opportunity to invest in both the improvement and restoration of this important heritage building that is city hall, without impacting the local taxes – something that would not be possible without this grant,” said Mayor Lee Pratt in a release.
“On behalf of the city, I am grateful for the financial commitment to this project from both the Government of Canada and the Province of BC.”
According to city staff, the renovation of council chambers will create a multi-use space with the ability to easily reconfigure the room for training, large meetings and other events.
There will also be significant technological upgrades to accommodate virtual attendance at meetings.
“We are very excited to be part of this important heritage revitalization project,”said Bassem Tawfik, principal at KMBR Architects in the release.
“We worked hard with city staff and our consultants to bring the council chambers back to its original design, while maximizing its flexibility to allow other functions like training and large meetings.”
“This is achieved by using flexible furniture configurations and the latest technology.”
Council meetings will continue to be live-streamed.
