Pitt Meadows councilors favor moving art gallery to civic square – Maple Ridge News

Pitt Meadows councilors spoke out in favor of moving the art gallery to the Civic Center near City Hall and building a new gender-neutral restroom in Harris Road Park.

The decision to build the next stand-alone RCMP detachment at 12492 Harris Rd. means moving both the Pitt Meadows Art Gallery (PMAG) and the sports building there.

Staff provided council with a report with options for new PMAG locations and toilet/concession building designs.

Just Hart, the city’s major projects manager, said the projects should be upgrades to relocated facilities.

Councilors have come out in favor of a new gender-neutral ‘laundry block’ project at Harris Road Park, which will include 16 fully private and gender-neutral cubicles, three stand-alone toilets, storage space and a concession with laundry facilities. kitchen. It would cost around $1.77 million.

The feasibility study for the site of the art gallery focused on four permanent locations. One would be next to a future heritage site, which will house the Pitt Meadows Museum and the Hoffman Garage. The museum is to be moved to make way for a new CP Rail underpass at Harris Road, and will be moved across the street.

Hart said the city could either move the existing PMAG building to the heritage site or construct a new building.

The activity room at the South Bonson Community Center was suggested, but members of the arts community voted against it.

Patricia Gordon said this would result in a loss of amenity space there. Linda Nelson said an earlier attempt at an art gallery in South Bonson was unsuccessful and she would prefer to see the art gallery in the Civic Center.

Hart’s report also proposed the existing community policing office and daycare space at the Pitt Meadows Family Recreation Center. His report also looked at six different temporary locations.

Estimates of art gallery relocation costs range from $369,000 to $1.42 million.

Funding for both projects would come from municipal reserves, based on staff recommendations.

Mayor Bill Dingwall said he would support gender-neutral restrooms, as well as the community policing office as a location for the art gallery, and other councilors agreed.

Com. Tracy Miyashita, who chaired the meeting, said the art gallery should be in a visible location and wanted to see the city explore options for the new heritage site being created near the CP Rail underpass.

The design and construction of the washing block is expected to start this year and will be completed in the second quarter of 2023.

The art gallery will also be relocated in early 2023.

No final decision was made at the Commitment and Priorities Committee meeting on May 17. Council accepted the report for information and asked staff to come up with a recommended art gallery site and conceptual design for the toilet block. The issue will be back before the council in June.