(ROB MUNRO / iNFOnews.ca)

Every month, City of West Kelowna staff update council on the progress of its long delayed and far over budget city hall project.

At it’s meeting tomorrow, March 27, council will be told of yet another, albeit minor, delay.

“The equipment, processes and approval required for the chlorination testing has pushed building occupancy from late March to early/mid-April,” the staff report going to council says. “At this time, there are no other known issues affecting the path to achieving building occupancy.”

On the positive side, the building is 96% complete and possible delays in the installation of the telecommunications system and testing of the integrated systems in the building have not materialized.

“New furniture and partitions have arrived on site and installation has commenced,” the report says. “It will take anywhere from two to four weeks to properly commission and test all the infrastructure as we prepare for a fully-functional building to be operational and serve the public.”

While staff will start moving into the new building in early to mid-April, that doesn’t mean the building will be open to the public.

In fact, while last month’s report said the first council meeting was expected to be held in the new building in May, that may be delayed as well.

READ MORE: New West Kelowna city hall delayed again with more cost overruns

“The start of services in the new building is anticipated to occur in phases beginning in May/June 2024,” the report says. “Everything from the front counter to information technology and service desks to operating council chambers will need to become functional on all floors to serve building tenants and the public.”

Departments that do not deal directly with the public will move in first while the services provided at the existing city hall will be moved last and some service disruptions are expected at that time, the report says.

The other five tenants – Okanagan Regional Library, two MLAs, ICBC and ServiceBC – will move in at different times through the spring and summer.

“At this time, there is no change to the financial update provided in last month’s report, and the look-ahead of hosting a community celebration in the summer months would be provided once major occupancy, move-in and public service milestones are achieved,” the report says.

Back in 2016, the city hall was expected to cost $14.8 million. It was twice rejected by voters through an alternative approval process and a referendum.

The city then started setting aside $700,0000 per year to build a contingency fund big enough to allow it to borrow money without voter consent.

In 2020, when West Kelowna announced it was going to finally build its first city hall, the estimated cost was $18 million with a projected opening date of December 2022.

That cost ballooned by almost 27% to $22.8 million and if it opens in June as planned it will be 18 months behind schedule.

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