New $50M Civic Centre for Georgina approved by council

The Town of Georgina logo. March 23, 2023 (Courtesy of Town of Georgina)

A new town hall is springing up in Georgina.

Georgina’s council approved the replacement of its aging Civic Centre to the tune of $50 million.

The process of building a new standalone replacement Civic Centre began in March 2018, when council approved the construction of a new building to be located on-site within the present Civic Centre campus.

“A lot of time, effort and research has gone into the decision to build a replacement Civic Centre,” said Mayor Margaret Quirk. “Building an administrative centre is not a popular move in any municipality, for residents or council.

“However, the status quo is not an option for us any longer. The current Civic Centre has reached its life expectancy and has many key building systems and issues that affect everyday use. We have a strong financial plan that supports this project, we have planned for it, and this is the best option for our growing community.”

The new Civic Centre will be an inclusive, fully accessible building providing a healthy and safe environment to all who enter its doors, which should hopefully open in 2025.

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The current Civic Centre is 65 years old. There are concerns with asbestos, numerous Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) issues, poor air quality and fire alarm/sprinkler deficiencies.

The new building will have a staff capacity of approximately 125 people, with 22 shareable office spaces and up to 10 smaller collaboration/meeting rooms. With the town’s Flex Work Arrangements Policy, this new Civic Centre is expected to meet the town’s needs well into the future.