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CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
October 2, 2003 | |
Author: |
Hugh D. McLean | |
Phone No.: |
7056 | |
RTS No.: |
3630 | |
CC File No.: |
1805 | |
Meeting Date: |
October 7, 2003 |
TO: |
Vancouver City Council |
FROM: |
Director of Current Planning |
SUBJECT: |
Award of Consultant Services Contracts - Statements of Significance for Gastown, Chinatown and Hastings Street |
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve the Statements of Significance Project Budget at a cost of $167,700; source of funding to be $40,000 previously approved by Council from the 2003-2005 Capital Plan - Downtown Eastside Revitalization and $127,700 (including 4% GST rebate) in matching funds from the Federal and B.C. Provincial levels of Government.
B. THAT Council authorise the Director of Legal Services to enter into a service contract with the Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services to receive up to $121,250 to provide the services set out in Appendix A of this report. Such contract shall be on terms and conditions acceptable to the Director of Legal Services in consultation with the Director of Current Planning and will include an indemnity in favour of the Province.
C. THAT Council authorise the Director of Legal Services to enter into contracts with three consultants on terms and conditions acceptable to the Director of Legal Services and the Director of Current Planning, at a total cost of $157,448 (including GST and disbursements) to undertake the writing of area Statements of Significance for Gastown, Chinatown and the Hastings Street and for individual heritage buildings located within these areas.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council approval is required to enter into contracts which are not covered by departmental standing authority. Council approval is also required in order to grant indemnities to third parties.
PURPOSE
This report seeks Council approval of the Statement of Significance Project at a cost of $167,700 and to enter into a service contract with the Province that includes a standard indemnity clause in favour of the Province. It also recommends that three consultants be retained by the City to prepare Statements of Significance (SOS) for the Gastown, Chinatown and Hastings Street areas and for heritage buildings within these areas.
BACKGROUND
On July 10, 2003, as part of a report addressing the implementation of heritage incentives for Gastown and Chinatown, Council approved a contribution of $40,000 plus in-kind resources for producing 235 Statements of Significance for heritage buildings in Gastown, Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside. The source of funding is to be the 2003-2005 Capital Plan (Downtown Eastside Revitalization). The contribution on the City's part was subject to securing matching funds from senior levels of government. On July 11, 2003, the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage and the Parks Canada Agency, together with the Heritage Branch under the B.C. Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services, offered to the City of Vancouver a contract to pay the City $121,250 to update the documentation for no less than 146 Vancouver Heritage Register properties to the new documentation standards for inclusion on the BC Register of Historic Places. This work essentially entails producing Statements of Significance for Vancouver Heritage Register properties.
Statements of Significance summarize the core heritage values of each heritage site, and are developed through appropriate research. The Statements of Significance initiative will contribute toward the effective implementation of the City's Heritage Management Plans for Gastown and Chinatown, and Hastings Street. It is expected that by early 2004, properties having an SOS in place will be eligible for federal funding flowing from the newly announced Historic Places Initiative.
DISCUSSION
A call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to produce Statements of Significance for Gastown, Chinatown and Hastings Street was advertised in the Vancouver Sun on August 20, 2003. A total of 16 firms and individuals were sent information on the proposal call. A total of four EOI submissions were received from the following consultants:
· Arlington Group Planning and Architecture Inc.
· Commonwealth Historic Resource Management Limited
· Julie MacDonald
· Jonathan Yardley
Staff reviewed these submissions and invited all four consultants to respond to the Request For Proposals (RFP) for the three blocks of work. In response to feedback from the Province and the EOI stage, City staff reduced the total number of buildings in the contracts from 235 to 188, which still exceeds the minimum set out by the Province. All four consultant bids ranged from $50,600 to $53,222. The narrow range of bids reflects the fact that the total funds available are approximately $167,700 and the work is divided into three contracts of approximately equal amounts of work. Given the slight variation in the bid amounts, the submissions were evaluated by staff based on their ability to undertake the work, namely: social/cultural and architectural historian experience; research approach and methodology; critical writing, project management and coaching skills; and knowledge of the specific area.
The consultants' work will consist of preparation of a Statement of Significance for each of the three historic areas, and a total of 188 buildings listed on the Heritage Register. Staff recommend the work be divided between the three consultants as follows:
· Arlington Group Planning and Architecture Inc.: produce SOS for Gastown plus SOS's for 61 buildings in Gastown; contract amount $52,083.
· Commonwealth Historic Resource Management Limited: produce SOS for Chinatown plus SOS's for 32 buildings in Chinatown and 31 in Gastown; contract amount $53,222.
· Jonathan Yardley: produce SOS for Hastings Street, and SOS's for 35 buildings in the Hastings Street area and 29 in Gastown; contract amount $52,143.
In order to achieve one of Council's objectives for the Downtown Eastside, funds have been set aside to hire a local resident as an educational training and skills development opportunity. This person will be hired by the City as a temporary employee and each consultant will take turns training and guiding him/her on specific research tasks. The hiring will be done in consultation with the planner for the DTES and leaders of local area employment and social agencies.
It is anticipated that work will begin immediately after the contracts have been signed and be completed in March 2004.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The total cost of the Significance Project Budget is $167,700. This includes $157,448 for three consultants to prepare Statements of Significance (SOS) for each of the three historic areas, and a total of 188 buildings listed on the Heritage Register. In addition, funding of $10,252 has been provided for local resident training, staff training, and a small support budget for the project.
Statement of Significance Project Budget
Funds |
2003-2005 Capital Plan (Downtown Eastside Revitalization) |
40,000 |
Federal/Provincial HPI |
121,250 | |
4% GST rebate |
6,450 | |
Total project funds |
167,700 | |
Expenditures |
Three SOS contracts |
(157,448) |
Local resident training |
(7,000) | |
City staff training required by contract with Fed./Prov. |
(585) | |
Four SOS workshops/additional SOS's/ miscellaneous |
(2,668) | |
Balance |
0 |
CONCLUSION
Council authority is sought to enter into a contract with the Province to help fund the preparation of Statements of Significance (SOS) for Vancouver Heritage Register buildings. Staff recommend this funding together with $40,000 previously approved by Council be used to hired three consultants to undertake the writing of SOS's for Gastown, Chinatown and the Hastings Street. These SOS's will define the core heritage values of each heritage building and be a principal tool for reviewing applications seeking municipal and federal heritage conservation incentives.
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