A near-unanimous vote of city council scrapped a $10-million ramp proposed to stretch from the underground garage to the fourth floor of Tom Davies Square (200 Brady St.).
Only Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann and Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc ended up voting against a motion by Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti to scrap the proposed ramp to the top.
With the five-floor ramp discarded, the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square library/art gallery project will proceed with a ramp stretching from the ground-level floor to its second floor, and elevators from the top to the bottom, baked into its $65-million budget.
This, city senior project manager of facilities/large capital Nick Zinger said, brings the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square pretty much in line with the accessibility requirements city council previously approved for the since-cancelled Junction East Cultural Hub (an earlier version of the project which would have consisted of a new build).
Landry-Altmann requested the addition of ramps all the way up to the fourth floor in a motion she presented in January, at which time it received unanimous support from her colleagues.
During tonight’s city council meeting, project manager Richard Lai, with Teeple Architects, shared a rough cost estimate of $10 million for the ramps (not included in the $65-million budget), while accessibility lead Darby Young with Level Playing Field told city council a ramp to the top would not be necessary.
Lai cautioned that his cost estimate was preliminary, and that it might cost even more if the city were to lessen the ramp’s incline to a more accessible angle than the bare minimum outlined in the Ontario Building Code. In a video shared with city council members, he demonstrated that traversing a ramp that meets minimum requirements is labour-intensive on a manual chair.
As someone with cerebral palsy who switches between a manual chair and a power scooter, Young said that she’d choose an elevator over a ramp if she were to visit the Cultural Hub.
“It’s nice to have the ability to not have to wait for an elevator to go somewhere, but at the same time, is it the right way to do it?” she asked. People only have so much energy on any given day, she added, arguing, “I don’t think you necessarily want to spend it going up a ramp when you can spend that time actually enjoying the space.”
Elevators, she said, suit the project as long as they’re included as part of the main entry point.
Further, Young expressed support for Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh’s sentiment that having a ramp go from the first floor to the second floor, where the children’s area is tentatively slated to be located, “does make the most sense because of all the families with strollers.”
Young is the founder and principal accessibility strategist for Level Playing Field, which specializes in accessibility consulting services to help projects adopt best practices.
Early in the meeting, Landry-Altmann said that she was encouraged to see Level Playing Field’s involvement in the project, telling Young, “I look forward to the work you’re going to be doing toward this project.”
The city councillor's tone shifted upon learning Young was not advocating for ramps to the top.
“I looked you up online and I see that you have a pretty fancy scooter,” Landry-Altmann told Young. “So, a hand wheelchair is not exactly your tool of choice, and I’m glad for that. It looks pretty spiffy and I’m sure it’s very effective.”
After the meeting, Sudbury.com asked Landry-Altmann why she brought up the fact Young has a mobility scooter, and she responded with a smirk, “Because she does,” and reiterated that it’s “pretty spiffy.” She also denied it was a means of invalidating Young’s comments.
When it became clear a ramp to the top of the building might be voted down, Landry-Altmann said it was “very disappointing to see what’s going on around the table.” She chastised city staff for providing city council members with the evening’s Cultural Hub presentation only hours prior to the meeting, expressed disappointment that Signoretti had a motion at the ready to strike down the ramps, and responded to comments by Zinger by saying, “Give me a break.”
Just prior to Mayor Paul Lefebvre calling the matter to a vote, Landry-Altmann sarcastically said the library project without a ramp to the top is “good enough for Sudbury, right?”
The $65-million project is slated to include the creation of a new main branch library on the bottom three floors of city hall (200 Brady St.), and the creation of Art Gallery of Sudbury space at the bottom two floors of 199 Larch St. The fourth floor of 200 Brady St. is currently unattributed.
Space will also be allotted at 200 Brady St. for the Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association.
The two buildings are attached, and most municipal services will shift from 200 Brady St. to the upper floors of 199 Larch St., with council chambers and the one-stop services desk remaining in place at 200 Brady St.
On April 18, the city announced Toronto-based Teeple Architects as the consultant behind the project’s design, having been awarded its $4.42-million tender.
During tonight’s meeting, Lai said the current timeline will see a schematic design presented by the end of June, construction documentation to be filed by the end of the year, a tender awarded by the end of March 2024, and for the 18-month construction process to begin within a few months of the tender being awarded.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
