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The project is contingent on the province‘s agreeâ€" ment to buy the county court house and jail in Kitchâ€" ener from Waterloo Region for an estimated price of more than $3 million. School Boards Could Join By Mary Stupart A $4.3 million proposal to transform the Kâ€"Mart shopping plaza on Highway 8 in Kitchener into a Waterâ€" loo â€" Region â€" headquarters building was unveiled Monâ€" day by regional chairman Jack Young. * The 109,000 square foot proposal, which would inâ€" clude a regional council chamber, service cafeteria and 55,000 square feet of office space, calls for the renovation of the departâ€" mentâ€" and grocery stores presently on the site and the construction of a 13,000 square foot addition. Region unveils $4.3 million plan for future headquarters building The region also hopes to convince the Waterloo Counâ€" ty Board of Education and the Waterloo County Sepâ€" arate School Board to join the project as full partners. The school boards would share the office space and council chambers in the complex. If the province agrees to reimburse the region for the court house, the project could be financed without any additional burden on the taxpayers said Mr. Young. M The province has not made a firm commitment to buy the regional property but Mr. Young said he has discussed the project with the province and "I‘m very hopeful‘" of getting a posiâ€" tive response from them. The two school boards have not yet considered the proposal but the project has been discussed with both board chairmen. Mr. Young said he hopes the boards set up _ committees this week to work with the reâ€" gion on the project. ‘"‘"At the present time we don‘t want to presume anyâ€" thing _ about the school boards. Our committee has had discussions over the past few years with the school boards. We developed this proposal with the posstâ€" bility of them coming in We‘re not trying to lead them into this. but we‘re making it available to them because they serve the same people we do." Mr Young said If the school boards veto participation in the project. Mr. Young said the region could still proceed on its own â€" _â€" waterioo chronicle= The proposal was preâ€" sented to regrional council August 11 in a closed sesâ€" sion Councillors have made no decision on the proposal but "there was a consensus that it‘s an attractive proâ€" Counciliors Favorable 121st Year No. The time is ripe for the region to consider future headquarters options beâ€" cause its lease at Marsland Centre expires at the end of 1977 the chairman said. posal," said Mr. Young Regional chairman Jack Young looks over the plans for a proâ€" proposed site would cost in excess of $4.3 million to buy and posed regional headquarters building on the site now occupied renovate. | by the Kâ€"Mart shopping plaza on Highway 8 in Kitchener. The Photo by Stupaft A new headquarters buildâ€" ing would save the region money in the long run beâ€" cause its rental rates at Marsland Centre will inâ€" crease in 1978 he said The region currently pays $150,000 a year for office space at Marsland Centre or $5.23 per square foot. This would probably increase to $6.50 per square foot in 1978 The estimated cost of buying â€" the Kâ€"Mart site would be $10 a square foot or a flat $1 million Mr Young _ said. _ Renovations and additions to the existing buildings. _ without _ archiâ€" tects‘_ fees and interior partitioning. _ would _ cost another _ $3 â€" million _ This would bring the total cost of the complex to approxiâ€" mately $4.3 millhion Wednesday, August 25, 1976 If the two school boards join the project, the region‘s share of the costs will be about 40 percent or $1.72 million. Additional costs for interior renovations could bring this figure to $2 milâ€" lion. The Waterloo County Board of Education‘s share would be about 40 percent and the separate school board‘s share would be 20 percent. Mr. Young said these percentage â€" figures would depend on the amount of office space used by each of the three groups. The chairman also preâ€" dicted that other regional offices and agencies might relocate in the 20 acre comâ€" plex if the proposal is approved ‘"‘Twenty acres . seems like a lot. but since the comâ€" plex is set at the back of the lot. it isn‘t really. 1 think a property of this kind will atâ€" tract other agencies." he said Agencies Could Move One possible tenant could be the Preston detachment of _ the regional police. which now rents office space The â€" Kâ€"Mart _ shopping plaza site is currently ownâ€" ed by Cambridge Leaseâ€" holds Ltd. of Toronto. Mr. Young _ said _ Cambridge Leaseholds made the origiâ€" nal proposal to the region in February but the regional committee didn‘t actively consider it until July Information _ about the headquarters proposal was kept from the public until Monday so an option to purâ€" chase 64 acres of land abutting the proposed comâ€" plex site could be signed by the region. Mr. Young said. This land was optioned to "create a flexibility we may want in future developâ€" ment of the site, he said. Waterloo _ Mayor â€" Herb Epp‘s reaction to the proâ€" posal was generally favorâ€" able when he was contacted Epp Supports Proposal Waterioo, Ontario Monday afternoon by The Chronicle. "It has a number of adâ€" vantages and some disâ€" advantages. The location is not exactly in the centre of the region, but it is in the largest city. and is close to Cambridge." said the Mayor, who has known about the proposal for about a week and a half. The city would be sorry to see the region leave the Marsland _ Centre _ office tower,. "but it‘s inevitable that the region find its own headquarters‘" he said Regional council has reâ€" ceived no firm commitment from the province to purâ€" chase the court house but Mr. Epp said "we anticipate that the ministry will be favorable â€" and give _ us the money that is ours . Mr. Epp said the proposal would cause some transporâ€" tation problems for regional staff if it is approved. "but if a decision is made, I would probably support it (the proposal ) Regional chairman Jack Young said the proposal is only a preliminary study, which is open to modificaâ€" tion and change It is not the first proposal for a regional headquarters buildâ€" ing that council has conâ€" sidered he revealed. The preliminary drawâ€" ings of the modified shopâ€" ping plaza buildings designâ€" ed by the firm of Horton and Ball, Walter, Fedy, Mcâ€" Cargar â€" and _ Hachborn, feature _ two _ oneâ€"storey structures. â€" basically the same as those presently on the site, and a connecting link containing a cafeteria and council chambers. The large building that now houses Kâ€"Mart would be split up with an indoor corridor _ and _ courtyards to separate the offices A looped entrance driveâ€" way from Highway 8 and reflecting pools and founâ€" tains are also contained in the preliminary sketches Modifications Possible 10 Cents Canada 6