For decades, Costin Hall and the Lantzville Heritage Church have been staples in the Lantzville community.The buildings have been the sites for movie nights, performances, weddings, funerals, recreational events and more. But the structures are aging and their future has now been called into question.
On Wednesday, Lantzville councillors passed a motion to begin discussing the future of Costin Hall and the Lantzville Heritage Church at an upcoming committee of the whole meeting.
The motion was created after Brenda Savage, president of the Seaside Community Society, the group in charge of operating the structures, made a brief presentation to District of Lantzville, where she questioned the long-term viability of Costin Hall and the church.
"The buildings are old, tired and in need of work," Savage said. "Do we simply freshen them up? For how long? Do we renovate extensively? Or do we plan for their replacement?" Savage said.
Savage wants Lantzville councillors to create a civic land buildings advisory committee that would seek input from the community on the church, Costin Hall and the associated lands associated in an effort to determine whether residents want to continue having a community centre and local recreational programs.
"The lack of a strategic plan for the future of these buildings is a real impediment to management and maintenance," Savage said.Costin Hall and the Lantzville Heritage Church are both district-owned facilities that are leased and operated by the Seaside Community Society.
Council reduced the amount of money for Costin Hall's operating budget this year to $7,000. Prior to the reduction, the society received $20,000 for operation expenses on the building. An additional $138,000 is set aside in a capital reserve budget, which the district currently contributes $28,000 to each year.
Coun. John Coulson said given the costs associated with maintaining Costin Hall, it might be time to consider building a new structure.
"There is a very strong economic case for rebuilding that building if we can get access to some of the grant money when it comes around," Coulson said.
No specific timeframe was given for when discussions on the future of Costin Hall and the church would resume.
