The future of the new Powell River Public Library rests on City of Powell River obtaining just one more document from general contractor Futurevest Investment Corporation.
The city received the building’s final architectural drawings and engineering schedules on Friday, September 23, said mayor Dave Formosa, most of the final documents needed to issue a building permit.
“It’s imminent that they are going to have their permit,” said Formosa on Monday, September 26. “Obviously the city is being very cautious.”
The city is still waiting for documents from the company for a convenant that the city insisted on. The covenant is on construction of a fire wall between the library and the shopping centre’s other tenants.
“We’re expecting that shortly,” said city director of infrastructure Tor Birtig. “Once we have that, the building permit will be issued.”
Futurevest co-owner Michele Sauve confirmed that the company’s lawyers were looking over the city’s requirements and would be submitting them Tuesday, September 26. Sauve said he has been told that once the covenant is agreed to, his company would receive building permits.
Once building permits are issued, Futurevest will provide the city with estimated project milestones and timelines, said Birtig.
City council authorized the purchase of the $4.9-million building at Crossroads Village Shopping Centre last spring.
It was expected that building renovations would be complete by August, but delays with seismic upgrading and discrepancies over what was necessary to meet the requirements of the BC Building Code pushed the project months behind schedule. One central sticking point in the project moving forward has been safety requirements of the fire wall.
Once construction is underway, renovations are expected to take up to six months to complete.
