Our New Signature City Hall

We are going to have more Signatures in Windsor than John Hancock had pens!

First Gridlock Sam talked to us about Signature bridges. Last night at Council, Councillor Jones talked about a Signature pedestrian mall downtown. Then we will get our new "public" Signature East End arena complex so the millionaires-owned Spitfires can have a home to play. Then you will hear, about a year from now or so, that we are going to get our new "public" signature City Hall. I mean after all, we are getting a new Casino extension built and we cannot have this old municipal building beside it can we.

Why we can afford another monument to ego can't we? We have been told that "By 2009, when major projects like the Norwich Block fiasco, the city hall welfare tower mistake and the new Huron Lodge at St. Clair College have been paid off, the city will find itself with torrents of money flowing in and no major funding obligations."

Come on, look what the new City Hall did for Toronto. Its image became "Toronto" to the world. Surely we can do the same here. Hmmmm I wonder if a local contractor has some components left over from some other project that did not work out so that they can offer us a building at a discount?

I must admit I do not understand the Rules of Council too well. On some occasions, updates go on the Public Agenda and on others they merely go on the Agenda buried in the Communications package.

Take the item "Corporate Space Needs Study and Site Condition Assessment Study for 350 City Hall Square." It was in the Communications package several weeks ago. Part of the study includes: "To review the opportunity for consolidating various off site satellite administrative operations within a centralized campus environment with a view of creating a long term spatial program that is both efficient and effective while taking advantage of available corporate synergies."

Whew, that tired me out typing this never mind trying to figure out what it means.

What will happen soon is that a Repot will be issued to propose that a consultant be hired to undertake a study which will last between 6-12 months.

I have a better idea. As Councillor Halberstadt asked and was answered at the Council meeting, a new City Hall is a possiblity (although the Mayor did say jokingly that the existing building could be use for the next 50 years)

Save the consultant's fee and tell us we are getting a new Signature City Hall after the next Council is elected. They need some edifice to dream about. I know we are being setup for one. Perhaps we rubber-stamp it now and save the fights and aggrevation later.

Now how do I know we are going to get one. Simple, we spent all of that money on a consultant's study on 400 City Hall Square to tell us how to run projects better. Now that we know how, we may as well do it. We do not want to waste those fees do we?

And can you guess where it is going to go? I'll let you know in another BLOG soon