Old factory to become Y's home - for now
04/06/2005
Temporary location allows planning to continue for permanent site
BY MICHAEL-ALLAN MARION
EXPOSITOR STAFF / BRANTFORD
The YM-YWCA shortly will have a new home for at least the next three years in a transformed brownfield building.
Ending months of speculation, senior Y administrators and board members unveiled to The Expositor on Tuesday details of a $1-million-plus partnership with brownfield redeveloper King & Benton and Lanca Construction to revamp the former Work Wear plant at Wellington and Clarence streets.
It will be turned into a facility for many Y programs and services when it vacates its current Queen Street building at the end of June to make way for a Y Homes affordable housing project.
“The entire community is aware of our search to build a new, full-service Y, with all the features that our members want and deserve,” said Don Duncan, the Y’s interim CEO.
“As a major step toward that vision, we are proud to announce our partnership with King & Benton and Lanca Construction in creating an exciting new centre.”
To be called the YM-YWCA Family Program Centre, the new digs to be created by Lance Construction is expected to be ready by mid-summer.
The new facility will provide:
A 4,600-square-foot workout centre;
A 2,600-square-foot gym;
A 2,000-square-foot multi-purpose space for activities, classes and meetings;
A 1,600-square-foot interior play-land, and babysitting facilities;
Locker and change room facilities;
81 parking spaces, with drop-off and pickup areas;
And customer service and administrative offices
The new location won’t have a pool or squash courts because it wasn’t feasible to include them on short notice, said Duncan.
The board hopes members using those facilities will stay with the Y when it opens its new modern facility in the next few years.
The facility takes pressure off the Y, giving the board more time to work on a larger, permanent plan, and reposition its programs and services.
A group of 10 friends of the Y is working on a plan to build a new Y off Market Street South beside Earl Haig Family Fun Park. Although many athletic services will be transferred there when the new facility is built, the Y is looking for its family-oriented programs to remain at Wellington and Clarence and be enhanced.
“We’re very excited as a board,” said member Hoda Kayal. “We’re very happy as we come to a conclusion here to know where we’re going next is a good location.”
The Work Wear building has been closed for a decade since the company switched operations to Cambridge.
However, in the past six months, King & Benton has purchased the property, gutted its interior and finished the necessary environmental remediation work.
10-YEAR AGREEMENT
Now King & Benton has signed a 10-year agreement with the Y, in which Lanca Construction will renovate the interior to the organization’s needs as a turnkey project.
King & Benton will provide upfront financing and amortize the renovation cost over a 10-year lease agreement.
The lease holds a renal fee of $3 per square foot. King & Benton has also pledged an annual donation equivalent to the rental fee in the lease.
The Y can buy out the lease for the outstanding amount at any time, but must maintain the facility for a community use during the full period.
Those arrangements will save the Y from dipping into capital funds for such a project. It will also allow it to apply its $700,000-plus revenue from the sale of its Queen Street facility directly to its next permanent building.
“I see a project driven by passion and need,” said Steve Chares, president of King & Benton.
“When you have an opportunity to do a project with those, you get something of greater worth and something that creates a lot of wins for the community.
The stars are lined up for this project. The building is the ideal size and location, and the timing is right.”
Charest said the new location can still serve its core membership in the downtown and will be a quick walk from many Laurier Brantford residences, especially in the new Heritage Block area.
“The big plus for King & Benton is that it represents the redevelopment of a brownfield,” said the man who has revitalized a number of unused industrial buildings, including the former Harding Carpets on Morrell Street.
LATEST PROJECT
He noted the latest project also constitutes the redevelopment of one of nine remaining properties on the city’s original list of 15 brownfield sites.
The financing is structured to give King & Benton no gain for its participation. Because Charest is a Y board member, he has called in Lanca to undertake the project and maintain total control.
Charest said he chose Lance because its owner, Keith Lancaster, has a lot of experience rejuvenating old Brantford buildings.
“A tremendous amount of work has to be done in a short period of time. Lanca was brought in because it knows the lay of the land,” said Charest.
“We’re pleased to be part of the team,” said Lancaster, whose company has revamped the Commercial Hotel for G.K. York Management and is carrying out the refurbishment of the Temple building for the same developer.
“It will be another project that we will be proud to be associated with.”
