Arie Hoogenboom isn’t pleased with Rideau Lakes council’s decision to bring a standalone community hall and library to Portland.
The mayor says the main priority for the Township should be municipal offices with room for a hall and a library under one building, which is what council was initially pursuing before the project dying on the vine along the way earlier this year.
Hoogenboon doesn’t feel it’s an effective use of space but if that’s what residents want, that’s what they’ll do.
Hoogenboom voted against the motion to issue a request for proposal for new designs at the latest meeting, which passed 5-3. He suggested a deferral of the vote due to an absent councillor, but there was no appetite for that.
Hoogenboom says they’re staring at another significant investment.
Council previously invested about $365,000 on the original drawings from +VG Architects, before killing the project earlier this year.
Hoogenboom estimates the new drawings will cost a couple hundred thousand dollars before they get to the construction of the library and hall, which will likely cost a few million dollars.
Story by Grant Deme
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