M.D. to replace grader shed with building for all services

By Rob Vogt, Local Press Writer
There is a silver lining to the destruction of the Municipal District of Willow Creek’s grader shed in Granum during a recent wind storm.
The M.D. council has decided, with the building completely written off, to borrow $650,000 to replace it with a bigger facility that will house not only the grader, but the fire department and hamlet services.
At council’s Jan. 27 meeting, Director of Infrastructure Craig Pittman explained that wind significantly damaged the building on Jan. 3.
A large overhead door was blown in, the building over-pressurized, was blown off its foundation and big hole was made in the back of it.
“The facility has been determined to be non-salvageable,” Pittman said. “The entire building will require replacement.”
He noted the resources had outgrown the building.
“When you do go in there, it s very tight quarters and the building is showing its age,” Pittman said.
Administration is looking at all services, including the emergency and hamlet services building at 108 Macewan Street, which is the fire hall just off Highway 519, and the grader shed, also called the transportation services building, located at 221 Bright Street.
He added there is $100,000 available from a Municipal Stimulus Program grant for this project.
He then outlined five options for council to consider.
The first option was maintaining the status quo, that is replacing the existing building that blew over with a building the same size.
That would be a 60-feet by 60-feet building on the same site for transportation services only, which would last more than 50 years.
Emergency and hamlet services would stay in their current facility, with the $100,000 used to repair building deficiencies there.
This is a 10 to 15-year solution, Pittman said.
Overall, this option would cost, dependent on the insurance claim, less than $100,000, but would not increase the M.D.’s service functionality.
The second option is to expand the building to 120-feet by 60-feet on the existing site to house both transportation and emergency services. Hamlet services would remain in their existing building. The $100,000 grant would be used expand the hamlet services building.
Pittman said this option will cost more.
The engineer estimates a cost of about $1.2 million, with a cost of $180 per square foot for new build and $150 per square foot on the existing foundation.
Costs to the municipality are dependent on the insurance claim, but is expected to be about $700,000.
Administration recommended this option.
The third option is to expand the building to 150-feet by 60-feet on the existing site to house all services in Granum, that is transportation, emergency and hamlet services.
The emergency and hamlet services building, that is the fire hall, would be disposed of or re-purposed by the municipality.
This option would cost more as well, estimated at about $1.6 million, with a cost of $180 per square foot for new build and $150 per square foot on the existing foundation.
Costs to the municipality are dependent on the insurance claim, but are expected to be about $1.1 million.

Story continued on page 2 of the Claresholm Local Press.
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