Summer Village of Seba Beach Heritage Pavilion Survey
Introduction
The Summer Village of Seba Beach (Village) is seeking input regarding the future state of the Seba Beach Heritage Pavilion (Pavilion) located at 505 – 1st Avenue South, Seba Beach. In January 2018, the lake ice in front of the Pavilion expanded laterally and encroached the lakeshore causing structural damage to the building. The damage was extensive and the Pavilion has not been safe for occupancy since. The Summer Village of Seba Beach Council had three options for the future of the Pavilion.
1. Repair the Pavilion to its condition prior to the “ice quake”. 2. Demolish the existing Pavilion and repurpose the land. 3. Demolish the existing Pavilion and build a new facility.
An on-site review and engineering assessment were conducted on the facility at the end of April for the purpose of determining the extent of the damage and the costs associated to repair and render it usable for future occupancy. After many months of gathering information, it was determined that the damage caused by the “ice quake “could be repaired at a cost of $277,000 of which the Village would be responsible for the deductible portion of our insurance policy which is $50,000. However, the engineering assessment determined that the Pavilion would not be fit for safe future occupancy without additional repairs to the foundation, wall structures and other infrastructure items. The cost of these items could exceed $150,000, bringing the total cost to the Village in excess of $200,000. The Village Council determined that undertaking these repairs did not seem like a financially responsible decision for a seventy-three-year-old building, which will probably continue to require further capital in coming years. The restoration of the pavilion is therefore not going to take place.
Council is seeking your input on the other two options, 1) either tear down the Pavilion and repurpose the land or 2) tear down the Pavilion and build a new facility. The financial impact of tearing down the Pavilion and repurposing the land will be minimal and will be covered by current revenue streams. If the decision is to tear down the current structure and build a new facility, the Village’s insurance policy would pay what would have been the insurers share of the restoration, $227,000, to the Village. Taking this amount and adding what would have been the cost to the Village of restoring the old Pavilion, in excess of $200,000, the sum of $427,000 may be better spent on a new facility for future generations. Building a new Pavilion will require financing since the village does not have the resources to pay cash for a new building. At this time, after some preliminary analysis, one can anticipate an increase in your property taxes of $100 - $150 to cover the principal and interest payments on the financing that would be required. If the decision is to rebuild the Pavilion then a committee will be developed to provide input towards concept, design and construction.