ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: July 5, 1999

Author/Local:R. Gates/6036

RTS No. 846
CC File No. 2401

Council: July 20, 1999

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Community Services, Social Planning
SUBJECT:	Capital Grant for Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Improvements

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council approve a Capital Grant of up to $130,000 to Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society for improvements, as described in this report, to the City-owned facility at 3981 Main Street. The source of funds is the City-owned Social and Cultural Facilities portion of the 1999 Capital Budget.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The Acting General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

In June 1998, City Council approved a six year lease to Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society, at a rent of $1 per year.

The 1997-1999 Capital Plan included a budget line for improvements to City-owned social service facilities.

Approval of grant recommendations requires 8 affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to seek Council's approval for a capital grant to make improvements to the existing City-owned Little Mountain Neighbourhood House facility.

BACKGROUND

The City-owned premises at 3981 Main Street were built in 1981 for the Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society. The 5,952 square foot facility was intended to accommodate the services and programs of the neighbourhood house and a 1,430 square foot store front library. Since 1981, the City has leased the space to Little Mountain Neighbourhood House for a nominal amount each year, and the library has in turn sub-leased its space from the neighbourhood house. The current lease runs until October 2003.

Social Planning has identified this facility as being one of the highest priorities, among social service facilities, for replacement. The existing building is far too small to accommodate badly needed neighbourhood services and programs. Although the need for replacement is immediate, it will take several years to complete this project. In the meantime, the neighbourhood house continues to provide all that they can within the current facility.

UPGRADING THE EXISTING BUILDING

The existing facility is desperately in need of some major upgrading. The roof leaks on a fairly regular basis, and the temporary patches are, at best, inadequate. Before too long the cost of repeated patching will exceed the cost of complete replacement.

The heating and cooling systems were minimal to begin with, but there are now many more staff who regularly work at this site. The resultant working conditions are unsatisfactory and hinder staff's ability to provide top quality services.

The City's Building Management staff have reviewed the situation at Little Mountain Neighbourhood House and recommend that the roof be replaced, that new heating/cooling units be installed on the roof, for the second floor, and that cooling units be added to the existing heating system on the ground floor. To ensure that the effectiveness of these new air system changes isn't lost, the windows need to be repaired and resealed. The estimated cost for this work is $130,000 (see Appendix A).

The interior of the building should be repainted and the upstairs floor covering should be replaced, at an estimated total cost of $25,000. Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society has agreed to look after these maintenance type expenses themselves.

CONTEXT OF A PROPOSED NEW FACILITY

Although replacement of this facility is a high priority, it will take a couple of years from the time that a decision is made to proceed with a new facility. A new site will have to be found and purchased, money has to be raised, possibly a rezoning will have to take place, and then the development and building permit processes will have to be undertaken. Social Planning has proposed that sufficient funds be included in the next Capital Plan so that this project can be started within the next three years.

In the meantime, the request from Little Mountain Neighbourhood House to their landlord, the City, to provide a reasonable work and program environment is not unreasonable. The current facility will probably be sold once the new one is ready (with the sale price contributing to the funding for the new facility), and the proposed improvements should add to its resale value.

CONCLUSION

Although there are plans to replace the Little Mountain Neighbourhood House facility, this will not occur in the immediate future. In the meantime, upgrading of the existing facility is needed. Therefore staff are recommending a Capital Grant of $130,000 to enable these improvements to be made.

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Little Mountain Neighbourhood House

_	Heat/Cool Unit for top floor only (No cooling for bottom floor) Roof mounted - ducts through ceiling	$50,000
_	Cooling for bottom floor (will not be totally successful)	$15,000
_	Re-roofing is needed but is a definite requirement of the above scenario	$60,000
_	Repairs to windows	$5,000
	Sub Total	$130,000
_	Painting	$10,000
_	New floor covering upstairs	$15,000
	Total:	$155,000

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver