Photo: City of West Kelowna

A planned new city hall in West Kelowna will be built next to the Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre.

The site, on vacant land directly north of the aquatic centre was identified at a Nov. 10 in-camera meeting, as the preferred site for the civic facility.

Information to be presented at next Tuesday's council meeting further states the $18 million city hall will also house the West Kelowna branch of the Okanagan Regional Library, whose lease expires at its current location next year.

A staff report states the library will be responsible for its capital operating costs.

Talks are also ongoing with West Kelowna MLA Ben Stewart and MP Dan Albas about locating their constituency offices in the building as well.

They further indicate there will be no private developer associated with the project, and commercial operator opportunities are not being explored.

Along with an update on the project, council will also be asked to approve a $953,000 contract to Vancouver-based Johnston Davidson Architecture for preliminary design of the new city hall.

Since announcing it would again go ahead with building a new city hall last year, officials have stated West Kelowna has the ability to borrow the necessary funds with no new taxes, and without requiring consent of the electorate.

The city has been putting money aside each year for such a purpose, and says by next year, should have at least $7 million available.

Its envisioned the building will be three storeys with approximately 30,000 square feet for civic purposes and an additional 15,000 square feet of space for the library.

The building would also be expandable if future space is required.

A new city hall would eliminate the need for numerous portable trailers and satellite offices currently in use throughout the city to accommodate staff.

It would also allow the current city hall to revert back to the community in the form of the Mount Boucherie Community Hall.

"Offering civic centre services from the same venue, adjacent to JBMAC, the Annette Beaudreau Memorial Amphitheatre and Memorial Park, will help create a vibrant and attractive centre in West Kelowna," staff conclude.