By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
CAYUGA—Once the centre of operations for municipal staff and Council, the old County Administration Building in Cayuga is currently in the process of being torn down, alongside the neighbouring museum building, to be replaced with a new green space.
Taking down the buildings has been a long-time coming, with plans for the new green space forming from a number of community engagement sessions across 2019 and 2020. These consultations are the result of the Community Development and Partnerships Division, created in 2010 to create a more collaborative approach with the community, particularly for recreational and leisure facilities and assets.
“A series of community consultation and engagement exercises/workshops were held throughout 2019 to develop conceptual plans for the future use of these lands, as well as other local parks,” said Brittany Burley, Coordinator of Customer Experience and Communication for the County. “There will be additional community consultation opportunities in the future as budgets/timing is determined.”
Taking down buildings like these is a complicated process. It is expected to take approximately four weeks, dependent on weather, and includes the following steps:
- Interior demolition and sorting
- Interior and exterior asbestos abatement
- Utility disconnections (Hydro was disconnected Wednesday, January 19)
- Exterior demolition, sorting, and removal (current stage)
- Site backfilling, leveling, and grass seeding.
The writing was on the wall for the old building when plans were unveiled for the new County Administration Building, adjacent to the Cayuga Memorial Arena, and new Cayuga Library + Heritage Centre in the downtown. Council announced opportunities for public input in deciding how to use the old lands at that time, and interest was shown for a green space.
As a result of the subsequent input sessions, an informal plan was put in place for the site with amenities including a picnic pavilion, restrooms, restoration of the existing historic log cabin on the site, a playground, shade sails, sidewalk enhancements, pedestrian gateways, formalized pathways, lighting, park amenities, and landscaping.
Residents also expressed a desire for a splash pad to be placed at the site, but staff at the time warned that, at an estimated cost of $854,550, it would need to be a Community Partnership project. Service lines from the old building are being preserved for reuse, which would lower the cost of installing a new pad.
In total, the work to be done has been estimated at $1,983,000. As of yet, funding for the transformation of the green space into a park has not yet been included in a County budget. With 2022’s capital budget yet to be revealed, it is unclear whether work on the park will take place this year.
