Agenda Index City of Vancouver
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: Director of Social Planning
SUBJECT: Funding for a Joint Britannia/Eastside Family Place Facility
 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council approval for funding requests put forward by Eastside Family Place and the Britannia Community Services Centre Association to undertake a joint project to develop a new facility that will be used by both organizations to provide programs for families and children in Grandview-Woodlands.

BACKGROUND

The City owns a number of facilities which are operated by non-profit social service, childcare and cultural organizations. These buildings are leased, at a nominal rate, to the operating societies who are responsible for their programs and services as well as the day-to-day operations of the buildings. When these facilities need major renovations or replacement, the City works with these groups and often provides financial assistance, with the balance of the funding being raised by the groups themselves.

In developing the 2000 - 2002 Capital Plan, Council approved a funding allocation of $4.1 million for the maintenance, renovation and upgrading of social, cultural and daycare facilities, including $1,500,000 for City-owned facilities, $500,000 for non City owned facilities and $2.1 million for special projects.

DISCUSSION

A joint proposal has come forward from the Eastside Family Place and the Britannia Community Services Centre for a new building that will satisfy their needs for upgraded and additional space. The following summarizes the components of that development.

Eastside Family Place

The Eastside Family Place Society has been in operation in the Grandview-Woodlands local area for 20 years. Eastside Family Place is a family support and resource centre that has operated for the past 14 years out of a City-owned portable building on a closed street allowance located between Britannia Community Centre and Grandview Park. The existing building is reaching the end of its useful existence - it leaks and is need of constant repair. The demand for the Family Place programs has grown to the point where there hasn’t been enough room in the existing building to operate them. Additional programs are now offered out of the Britannia Community Centre and rented space on Commercial Drive. However,the building on Commercial Drive is now up for sale and the Family Place parenting programs and workshops will have to relocate.

Over the past year, the Eastside Family Place staff and Board have worked with their clients and the community at large to come up with a plan for a larger, more suitable facility for their programs. This new facility would be a prefabricated building (often referred to as portables) that would be located on the current site, replacing the existing building.

The new, expanded space will be used to house all of the Eastside Family Place programs and services. There is a definite and urgent need for an expansion of the drop-in centre. The community has identified a need for longer drop-in hours, an expansion of the respite childcare/childminding program, possibly to include infants, and possibly a community kitchen.

Britannia Community Services Centre

Britannia has been in operation for more than 25 years as a partnership between the School Board, Park Board, and the City. A wide range of recreation, social and education services and programs are offered.

The Britannia Centre Board determined that the current daytime program needs for families with young children cannot be met with Britannia’s existing space and that more space for community meetings and adult arts oriented programs such as dance and yoga was required. In particular, the need for a kindergym, large multi-purpose classroom and meeting room have been identified as high priorities.

The Joint Project

There are a number of reasons for developing a single project that will meet the needs of both groups, including:
… one building is cheaper to build than two
… one building will take up less land, an issue in an area where there is already too little public open space
… the potential for shared use of space and programs is enhanced, which allows for more efficient and less costly programming
… an ability to provide a wider range of programs in one place.

Although the Eastside Family Place development could proceed on its own, the advantages of a joint project, outlined above would be lost. Also, one of the significant sources offunding, the BC Millennium Grant, could be compromised as it is for a joint project that must be completed before March 1, 2001. The Family Place and Britannia are developing a strong working partnership through this project, and this could be jeopardized if either party is removed from it.

The groups have hired an architect to develop a plan that met the needs of both within a single building that would replace the existing Family Place facility. Because of a substantial grade difference on the site, it is possible to place a two storey building there, with each floor having direct ground level access. Each floor would be just over 3,000 square feet.

Each organization will be responsible for the operation of its own space, although every effort will be made to coordinate programs and services. For instance, the Family Place may run a parenting program, while the children of the participants take part in a recreation program provided by Britannia in their space downstairs.

This is a community driven project. The space and program needs have been identified by the community and brought to fruition by the two organizations. The community has been kept well informed of the progress made to date. Over the past six months more than 4,200 letters have been sent out to the neighbourhood residents explaining what is being planned and asking for ideas and support. Local newspapers have run articles on the project. More than a dozen letters of support have been written by community residents and agencies.

Project Financing

The total estimated cost of construction for the new two storey facility is $768,000. It would be built as a prefabricated building (a portable) installed on concrete foundation on site. Part of the existing playground area for the adjacent daycare centre will have to be relocated and rebuilt, at a cost of $30,000. There is an existing sewer line in the centre of the street allowance that runs under the existing Family Place building. Because the new building will be placed on a concrete foundation, this sewer line will have to be moved to the side of the street allowance, at an estimated cost of $60,000, bringing the total project cost to just under $860,000. Detailed project costs are outlined in Appendix A

Both organizations have been actively raising money for this project. Funding for the project is projected as follows:

The organizations have approached the City individually for grants to provide for the funding shortfall of $510,000, as follows:

… Eastside Family Place approached the Social Planning Department in 1999 looking for financial support for their facility. In developing the 2000 -2002 Capital Plan, department staff viewed this redevelopment as a priority.

… Britannia Community Services Centre submitted a request to the 2000-2002 Capital Plan process for $200,000. The Capital Plan Staff Review Group concluded that, given the other demands on the Capital Plan and the fact that the project was not well enough developed, a specific allocation in the plan could not be justified. However, the group acknowledged that if a better defined proposal came forward during the plan that it could compete for Supplementary Capital funds with other projects. The SRG was not aware of the linkage between these two projects nor of the timing of the proposed joint development. It is this request from the Britannia association that has come forward.

Although this development will result in additional space for both Eastside Family Place and Britannia Centre, the City is not being asked to provide additional operating costs. The two organizations have determined that they can pay these costs from their existing operating budgets.

CONCLUSION

The Grandview-Woodlands community has identified a high need for expanded services for families and young children in their neighbourhood. A combined facility for Eastside Family Place and Britannia Community Centre will enable these organizations to go a long way towards meeting these needs. A funding source for the Eastside Family Place proposal has been identified in the 2000 - 2002 Capital Plan, however, additional City funding is required for Britannia Centre to participate in the development.

* * * * *

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APPENDIX A

SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED COSTS FOR
A NEW EASTSIDE FAMILY PLACE/BRITANNIA FACILITY

New building construction

Architectural & structural 323,700
Electrical 51,700
Mechanical 93,300
Overheads & profit 84,300

Site development and services 47,500
Design & pricing contingency 29,500

Construction Total $630,000

Related costs

Construction contingency 63,000
Professional design fees 55,000
Municipal, Permit, Connection fees 20,000
Brit Childcare play area renovations 30,000

Total other costs $168,000

TOTAL PROJECT COST $798,000

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