The Georgian Triangle Humane Society (GTHS) has plans to move into a bigger space, and town council gave initial approval this week to help the non-profit get there.
During the July 24 committee of the whole meeting, councillors considered a motion to terminate the town’s long-standing lease with the non-profit and purchase the existing GTHS building at 549 Tenth St. for $800,000 once the new GTHS building in Collingwood’s east end is complete.
However, while the town said in its report its intends to use the building to alleviate staff accommodation pressures, councillors paused to make sure they weren’t committing to future uses for the building.
Coun. Chris Potts was the first to raise concern at Monday’s meeting that the motion would mean the town would be using the facility for staff accommodation.
“We already know we have a lot of (town-owned) buildings that are sitting vacant currently. I need more information on that,” said Potts.
In 2010, council, town staff, and the GTHS negotiated and entered a land lease agreement to enable the construction of a GTHS-owned-and-operated building on Tenth Line to operate as an animal shelter.
While GTHS built and still owns the shelter building, it is on land leased from the town. The current lease expires Dec. 31, 2060.
In May 2022, the GTHS announced it had purchased a property at 135 Sandford Fleming Dr., where it plans to build a 19,200-square-foot facility. The organization is running a capital campaign to raise the $14 million needed to build the facility, which will be renamed as the Georgian Triangle Humane Society’s Regional Centre for Pets and People.
The town was interested in purchasing the Tenth Line building because it is adjacent to the town’s public works yard.
On Aug. 18, 2022, following a closed-session meeting, council gave approval to staff to negotiate the purchase of the Tenth Line site.
During Monday’s meeting, Coun. Kathy Jeffery clarified the motion being considered would be to terminate the lease with the GTHS and pay $800,000 for the building, but the motion would not specify how the building would be used going forward.
Amanda Pegg, executive director of customer and corporate services, said staff plans to bring forward to councillors an overall update on the staff accommodation plan at a future time.
Deputy Mayor Tim Fryer noted safety issues with the joined parking lot between the GTHS and the public works yard, which could be alleviated through the town owning both.
Under the new agreement, the early termination date for the existing lease would become Dec. 31, 2026, with a one-time optional extension of no more than 180 days. Under the agreement, the town will pay the GTHS $800,000, excluding any applicable taxes, for the value of the building and for the early termination of the lease.
The amount will be paid in four payments: 25 per cent when construction on the new facility starts, 25 per cent when construction is 50 per cent complete, 25 per cent when construction is 75 per cent complete, and 25 per cent when construction is finished and the GTHS has vacated the Tenth Line building.
According to current estimates for construction of the new GTHS site, Pegg notes in the report the payments would break down to $200,000 in 2024, $400,000 in 2025, and $200,000 in 2026, subject to some variability.
Pegg also notes current estimates for renovations needed to the Tenth Line site to make it suitable for town use are expected to come in at about $600,000 depending on design.
At the end of discussions, the committee voted unanimously in favour of terminating the GTHS lease and paying $800,000 for the existing building. Coun. Christopher Baines was absent from the meeting.
The decision will need to be ratified at a future meeting of council before going into effect.
