By Pepper Parr
January 4, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They want to be “shovel ready” should the federal government come through with the$5 million plus in funding that is needed to completely transform the Joseph Brant Museum
City council was asked to approve the process and strategy identified in capital works department report on the possible transformation of the Joseph Brant Museum from the single structure on the site to a 14,000 square foot creative Centre.
Architectural rendering of the transformed Joseph Brant Museum – view from the street level.
Staff did a 50% costing exercise for the Transformation Project, including the tasks that have been carried out to date and the remaining tasks to complete the proposed scope of works to be “shovel ready”.
The report also identifies a strategy for the Joseph Brant House should senior levels of government funding not be secured January 2017.
In April of this year Capital Works got approval to move forward with the detailed design for the Joseph Brant Museum Transformation Project funded entirely from the Joseph Brant Museum Transformation Reserve Fund. The reason to move forward with the detailed design was to be “shovel ready” should senior levels of government funding be realized to meet a funding condition to be substantially complete by March 2018.
The Burlington Museums Board (BMB) and the Joseph Brant Museum Foundation (JBMF) endorsed the initiation of detailed design requesting support from the Senior Project Manager from the city’s Capital Works Department.
There is an excellent very short video of how the site is to be transformed if federal funding gets to Burlington. Video is near the end of this article.
An aerial architectural rendering of the transformed Joseph Brant Museum. House is moved west a short distance and the Creative Centre built underground – 14,000 square feet of space.
The project still remains contingent on funding from senior levels of government. Staff continues with the tasks associated with detailed design in preparation for tender to pre-qualified General Contractors in order to be “shovel ready” and achieve substantial completion by March 2018.
January 25th is a critical date. Should the senior levels of government funding not be realized by January 25, 2017, staff recommends that the secured funding that is available January 25, 2017, be utilized to renew the existing Joseph Brant House.
The table set out below identifies the revised project budget based on 50% costing at $10.3 million.
The $2.2 million from the Museum Foundation consists of a reported $1.4 million from the Helen Ireland Caldwell estate.
A separate table outlines the funding breakdown. The city’s portion has not changed from the prior approved budget funding of $2,120,000. There was a grant of $1 million from the Burlington Foundation and a significant bequest, $1.4 million from the Estate of Helen Ireland Caldwell who passed away in August 2010. She was the first cousin to Marie Ireland, the last Ireland family member to live in historic Ireland House before it was bought by the city and turned into a museum in 1987.
Staff reported in April 2016 that there would be public engagement in 2016. Since the funding has not been secured staff is recommending holding a public open house when senior level’s of government funding is 100% secured.
In this portrait Joseph Brant is seen wearing the gorget given to him by King George III. That gorget is the most important piece in the collection at the Joseph Brant Museum.
Should funding not be realized staff recommend a strategy to suspend the current proposed project scope and direct efforts toward the existing Joseph Brant House renewal with the monies from City sources in combination with any additional secured funding to January 25, 2017. Staff will report back to Council on that scope of works.
The current annual operating cost for Burlington museums is $581,759 which includes Ireland House.
The plans for the transformation are not minor. The existing structure will be re positioned on the site and a large, very large underground creativity centre will be installed.
Very little has been said about just what that creative stuff will be about other than the following notes on the museum web site: The $10.8 million expansion will add 14,000 square feet including four exhibit halls that offer the opportunity to showcase special exhibits, two multi-purpose rooms, a lobby, shop, resource centre and storage for over 25,000 artifacts and historical treasures.
More importantly, it will enable the Joseph Brant Museum, Burlington’s Community Museum and Heritage Centre, to showcase blockbuster exhibitions from around the globe.
The existing Brant house will not be something the public can get into – it will be a location for administrative offices. Looks as if the only thing “Brant” about the new building will be the name.
The Joseph Brant Museum as it stands today.
The existing collection of Brant material is limited and the library in place truly pathetic. The role Brant played in the society he was part of was very significant – it looks as if it might be lost in the new structure.
An ongoing concern is the width of the re-constructed Lakeshore Road hat was raised close to a metre and curves around the existing structure. That road is a single lane and leads to the re-developed and enlarged Joseph Brant Hospital and its parking garage.
The video set out below will give you a sense as to just how big this transformation is – and just how small Lakeshore Road it.
Will that single lane road carry all the traffic if there is a major traffic disaster on the QEW; the 403 or on the railway tracks.
As you look at the video imaging a couple of dozen ambulances racing along that road.
Then consider the long long range plans the city and the Region have to turn the existing Beachway community into a theme park.
A lot of questions – and not that much in the way of public input.
Where will the Canada Day Strawberry social take place?
