THUNDER BAY — Some city staff will be relocating from Donald Street to new offices on the other side of town early next year.
Simultaneously, the city will move its legal services division from the third floor at city hall to consolidated quarters on the main floor.
To accommodate this, staff in the revenue division will give up their offices at city hall and transfer to the fifth floor of the Whalen Building on Cumberland Street North.
The city is currently looking for a consultant for design development, cost estimates, contract preparation and tendering.
At the city hall, the renovated 3,150 square-foot space will include a fully accessible public counter, an interview room, seven enclosed offices, open office space to accommodate seven workstations, a coffee room and a library area, as well as infrastructure improvements.
In the Whalen Building, renovations to two suites will provide space for nine enclosed offices, open office space for 11 modular workstations, a work area for water meter inspectors, an accessible public counter, a meeting room/staff lunch room and infrastructure upgrades.
The city expects construction to begin in August, with completion by February 2024.
Thunder Bay City Hall was built in 1965, and underwent a major exterior renovation in 2009, when a three-storey addition was built at the entrance.
The Whalen Building is a designated heritage structure and was built in 1913.
It has received numerous interior renovations over the years, most recently in 2013.
Any proposed renovations to the building must be reviewed by the local Heritage Advisory Committee.