SWOX council considers new $7 million municipal building

Debbie Kasman, Tillsonburg Post Correspondent

At its regular council meeting on Dec. 3, South West Oxford Township (SWOX) council began preliminary discussions to build a new municipal office and child-care centre in Mount Elgin.

The new building, located west of Highway 19 on Mount Elgin Road, would potentially include a new child-care facility on the first floor, the new municipal office on the second floor, and allow for other uses on a possible third floor, which could include a new space for the public library and/or affordable housing and/or apartments for seniors.

The square footage of the new building would be 15,200 square feet with an additional 7,600 square feet on the potential third floor.

The cost for a two-story building, based on a cost per square foot of $450, would be $6.84 million. Costs will be higher if council opts to include a third floor.

These costs include building and site construction costs and are based on present-day conditions and current market rates. The costs do not include contingency, land costs, information technology, security systems, furniture, appliances or HST.

Possible library relocation

Oxford County is seeking 2,000 square feet of library space, plus 400 – 500 feet of program space for the Mount Elgin library. The county has reached out to inquire if the township is considering the location of a new library on the west side of Mount Elgin. Discussions are preliminary.

Ward boundary changes approved in-principle

Council approved proposed ward boundary adjustments in-principle, which will impact all six wards in the township. Changing population trends, particularly in Wards 2 and 3 (Mount Elgin), prompted the review. Both wards have experienced significant demographic shifts. The amending by-law will come forward early in 2025 for final approval and will take effect for the 2026 Municipal Election.