EECC Board Votes to Defer Consideration of Class D Estimate

Overview

The East Elgin Community Complex (EECC) Board of Management has decided to wait before moving ahead with proposed leasehold improvements at the facility. The decision was made after reviewing a cost estimate and several options presented in a staff report. The improvements would affect spaces inside the complex, including Imperial Hall, which is currently used for recreation and community events.

Decision Summary

The Board voted to defer consideration of the Class “D” cost estimate for leasehold improvements to the 2027 budget deliberations. This means the project will not move forward at this time and will be reviewed again during the 2027 budget process.

In addition, the Board directed staff to complete more work before making a final decision. Staff have been asked to:

Complete a user and stakeholder impact assessment related to the possible removal of Imperial Hall from recreational use.
Prepare a preliminary lifecycle and financial analysis. This will include reviewing operating impacts, long-term capital costs, and high-level lease principles needed to achieve full cost recovery.

Report Summary

Report CAO 06-25 presented a Class “D” cost estimate for the proposed leasehold improvements. The estimate was prepared by Spriet and Associates and projected a cost of $460,820, not including HST and professional fees.

Three options were presented to the Board:

Move forward with detailed engineering design with Spriet and Associates, pending endorsement from the Town of Aylmer and the Township of Malahide.
Complete further work related to leasehold improvements, including consulting stakeholders for feedback, and then report back to the Board. The Board would then decide whether to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), with funding to be included in the 2027 capital budget.
Defer consideration of the Class “D” estimate to the 2027 budget deliberations.

Member Deputy Mayor Barbour moved a motion with a fourth option to defer consideration and to seek stakeholder feedback which was adopted by the Board.

Financial Considerations

The Class “D” estimate for the leasehold improvements is $460,820, not including HST and professional fees.

Both municipal partners equally funded the preparation of the estimate at a cost of just over $9,000 plus HST.

Before any further funding is committed, the Board wants more information about long-term operating costs, capital needs, and how the project could achieve full cost recovery through lease arrangements.

Next Steps

Staff will now complete the requested assessments and financial analysis. This work will include gathering feedback from users of Imperial Hall and reviewing the long-term financial impacts of the proposed changes.

The matter will return to the Board as part of the 2027 budget deliberations, where members will decide whether to move forward with the project.