Saanich is planning to redevelop its public works and parks operations centre at an expected cost of $183 million to $212 million. “It’s one of the biggest undertakings that Saanich has done in a very long time,” said Mayor Fred Haynes.
Director of engineering Harley Machielse called the project a “top priority” for capital investment, adding the cost estimate will be further refined as the design takes shape over the next few years.
The current facilities, a collection of buildings at McKenzie Avenue and Borden Street, are “well past their useful life” at 40 to 70 years old and don’t meet building-code requirements, Machielse said.
“We’ve built out so ad hoc over time,” he said. “Our community has more than doubled since the operations centre was built originally, so we’ve got lots of trailers, lots of sheds.”
The parks division is housed in so-called temporary trailers that are about 40 years old, he said.
Other buildings are largely low-slung with a maximum of two storeys and spread over 13 acres, serving as the hub for municipal services.
About 300 parks and public-works staff work at or report out of the location and are responsible for transportation, parks, water, sewer and solid-waste services in the municipality, Machielse said.
The site houses a “fleet centre” that provides mechanical services for police vehicles and most other municipal vehicles, except for more-specialized fire department vehicles, he said.
Machielse said that all of the municipality’s vehicles and equipment have daily maintenance requirements, safety checks, replacement schedules and other needs that are overseen through the operations centre, where about 250 vehicles are stored.
The site also includes storage areas for pipes and building materials, traffic signals and lighting, and a shop where street signs are made, he said. “In some of the buildings we’ve got specialized areas that help monitor the water system and the sewer system, help monitor our traffic-signal systems.”
He said the centre deals with up to 9,000 calls for service each year about everything from a pothole that needs fixing to a request for road signage.
A report from Machielse and Suzanne Samborski, director of parks, recreation and community services, suggests multi-storey buildings will be needed to accommodate all uses at the site.
One approach is to place public-service counters and other administrative functions close to McKenzie Avenue, so visitors are separated from busy areas, the report said. Height and density would be concentrated on McKenzie, while buildings some distance away could be “lower in height and more sympathetic to the scale of the neighbourhood.”
Construction is expected to take place from 2026 to 2029, with a phased moving in from mid-2028 to mid-2029.
Haynes said Saanich has been putting money aside in a reserve fund for the project, but will also have to borrow funds.
Services will continue on-site while the project is underway, he said.
While the district has looked at alternate locations over the past four years, Haynes said the centre’s location in the middle of the municipality — the Island’s largest — allows for efficient service delivery, which is especially important in times of emergency, like a break in the water system or a storm.
The redevelopment will ensure the operation centre works well for the next 100 years, he said, noting there could be an opportunity for some of the land to be used for housing.
A water course known as Public Works Creek flows through the central part of the site, so environmental protection is part of the project, Haynes said. Tree cover and a low grade in the middle of the site screens much of the parcel from the surrounding area.
