RDOS directors have given another green light to staff and consultants for renovating existing offices in  Penticton at a cost close to a half million dollars.

The previous board in 2014 asked for consultant Chris Allen to report to directors giving some preliminary designs and costs which were delivered to a budget meeting today.

Regional District Okanagan Similkameen is located at 101 Martin Street in Penticton.

The existing building was built in 1981 but needs upgrades and repairs. The existing plan calls for improvements costing $436 thousand – about 10 percent of replacement costs.

Directors are divided on whether to plan for a replacement building or fix the old one asking for more precise costing, energy savings, grants and reserves available.

About half the cost is held in a reserve but some directors still concerned with an expenditure of a portion valued at $200 thousand.

A new building to perform the same service could cost $4 million – with the existing land and building worth about half of that.

Renovations would put all meeting rooms and lunch rooms at the front of the building, all offices on the north and south sides and general work areas, washrooms and utilities in the core allowing for a continuous hallway around the building.

Many directors want to proceed citing the fact that the building is 35 years old and is the space that employees work 52 weeks a year when directors are only in the building 3 days a month.