ELORA – Extending the life of a public works garage-turned-summer music venue might cost the county a lot more than originally anticipated.
A new report presented to the county Roads Committee Tuesday estimates upgrading the Elora Public Works Garage on 7454 Wellington County Road 21 will bring the cost of the project to $2.195 million.
Intended to extend the building's life until 2050, the proposed upgrades include connecting the building to township wastewater facilities, replacing the building’s siding, rehabilitating the foundation, paving the site and adding a wash bay.
To date, $800,000 has been approved for the project.
"So we've got $800,000 of approved spending. If there's any work that occurs, it will fall within that envelope," said roads manager Joe de Koning. "The broader scope of works is going to require more money ... we're going to refine that through this year."
Approximately $80,000 of the project's budget is currently dedicated to acoustical considerations as the garage, also known as the Gambrel Barn, has doubled as a summer concert venue for the Elora Festival for over 20 years.
An acoustical study from HGC Engineering has determined replacing the garage's existing damaged eight-foot-high wooden walls with poured concrete would increase the space's reverberation "to some degree."
Replacing the lower walls with a four-foot concrete wall would result in "largely imperceptible change in the acoustical conditions;" staff said anything higher would result in more significant changes and would be more noticeable considering the wall height would be above ear level for most standing patrons.
"I think the long and the short of the report is we can do work to improve the structure of the building and still maintain the integrity of the sound within the building," said de Koning.
At the meeting, Coun. Campbell Cork asked how refining the cost estimates might impact the bottom line and whether any non-essential items can be removed from the design scope.
De Koning said the current location has operated without a wash bay since the 90s and its removal can always be considered.
CAO Scott Wilson suggested sharing the plans with the festival before issuing the tender to ensure the proposed design won't cause any problems as he's heard the venue is considered "acoustically perfect."
Looking to the future, de Koning said staff have to determine when the work will be undertaken and whether to temporarily displace the festival or find alternative storage for the sand and salt.
"Special consideration" will be given to minimizing adverse effects on the Elora Music Festival during construction.
The project will be tendered in 2026, pending the new budget's approval.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
