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Council confirms two architect firms hired to construct three new municipal buildings The Burlington firm has been designing libraries since the mid-1980s and in the past decade has completed seven library projects. Ward 4 Councillor Bob Inglis, a library At its recent first meeting of the 2006- board member, said Chamberlain has consid2010 term, Halton Hills council confirmed erable experience dealing with heritage the hiring of two architect firms for three buildings. new municipal facilities. Acton Councillor Jon Hurst noted, "there Thomas Brown Architects were awarded are vast opportunities in the planning stage the contract to design the combined fire to initiate a lot of LEED (Leadership in headquarters and new Georgetown Energy and Environment Design) ambulance (EMS) station at the practices, which may not necessaricurrent Maple Avenue location, as ly cost a whole lot more money to well as the satellite fire station in implement, but there will be signifiGeorgetown South. cant cost savings ... and in discusFunds-- $2.5 million for the sions with the architect, we must headquarters station and $1.2 milmake sure we're pursuing all the lion for the satellite-- have already opportunities so we get the best been allocated to both projects energy-efficient construction we can under the Town's pay-as-you-go get." strategy. Diamanti noted Chamberlain's Thomas Brown Architects' JON structural engineer is LEED-certiresume includes 48 fire stations, HURST fied and well experienced in enereight fire headquarters, 17 EMS stagy-efficient buildings. tions, including the Acton fire station, and Hurst asked a similar question before the four EMS stations in Halton Hills in the last fire station architect approval and Acting five years. They will be paid about $336,000 Fire Chief John Martin confirmed that enerfor the combined job. gy efficiencies would be considered in those The hiring is subject to regional approval construction projects as well. of the construction project and budget (due In early 2007, the library's planning comto its involvement with the EMS station). mittee will invite library patrons and repreCouncil also approved the Halton Hills sentatives from the arts, business, social serLibrary Board's selection of Chamberlain vices and education sectors to an information Architect Services Ltd. for architectural and session to introduce the architects and proengineering services to renovate and expand vide greater details on the project. the Georgetown branch library. (Cynthia Gamble can be reached at Cost of the contract is $544,000. Total cgamble@independentfreepress.com) cost of the expansion project is $8 million. CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer