How much for renovations?

Malahide Mayor David Mennill and Deputy Mayor Jim Jenkins insisted Thursday, July 17, that spending $11.75-million for a new Elgin County administration centre, including museum, archives and provincial offences court, is better than replacing Terrace Lodge, where residents are two to a bedroom and four to a washroom.

Mayor Mennill told fellow township councillors that renovating the existing county administration building south of St. Thomas to meet accessibility standards would cost $2-million more than a totally new $11.75-million building that would include floors for: a main floor courtroom and a council chamber that could double as a courtroom; administration on the second floor; and museum and archives facilities in the basement and third floor.

But that “renovation” cost actually still includes the new building, minus the administration floor, plus a connecting link, containing an elevator to serve all floors, to the county department offices in the existing administration building.