2013 Capital Highlights

The following is an overview of the major program areas funded through the capital budget with selected highlights of proposed 2013 initiatives being recommended to Council.

Infrastructure – $39.0:
	The City’s Infrastructure Program funds assets that include: road, drainage and sanitary pump stations, drainage, water, and sanitary mains.  For 2013 it encompasses investing $39 million on improving the City’s civic infrastructure. The 2013 program includes interim Landsdowne Road extension, Nelson Road widening, Bath Slough Pump Station, Bennett West Pump Station, Ainsworth and Aintree Laneway drainage and pavement upgrade.
Equipment – $10.8M:
	The 2013 equipment program funds machinery and vehicles for Public Works and Fire Rescue Services, computer hardware, software, library collections, and food scraps/organics recycling program expansion.
Land – $5.0M:
	The 2013 land acquisition program relates to the acquisition of real property for the City, as approved by Council.
Parks – $5.2M:
	Richmond is renowned for its high quality parks and recreation facilities, with over 90 parks totaling approximately 1,400 acres. In addition to the City’s parks, Richmond also has a 200-acre recreational trail system. The 2013 program includes work on Britannia Heritage Shipyard, Railway Avenue Greenway, Terra Nova Park, and Thompson Youth Park.
Buildings* – $4.6M
*Does not include major facilities which will be the subject of another report	The building program funds major building construction and renovation projects as well as minor facility upgrades and repairs. For 2013 the building program includes extensive upgrades to the West Richmond Community Centre, rehabilitation work to the Japanese Building at 3811 Moncton Street, and project design engineering and architecture work for a variety of proposed facility projects.
Affordable Housing – $0.7M:
	Affordable Housing is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Richmond Affordable Housing Strategy adopted in 2007. The 2013 program entails a City-owned site designated for affordable housing to support the development of affordable housing.
Child Care – $0.1M:
	To address child care needs, the City’s 2013 Child Care program will provide ongoing capital maintenance costs for facilities such as the Hamilton Child Care facility and West Cambie Child Care Facility.

 2013 Project Highlights

Some of the 2013 highlights and their benefits are summarized below.  These projects have been prioritized based on Council Term Goals as follows:

Community Safety:

• Widening of Nelson Road to four lanes at the intersections of Blundell and Westminster Highway, with an off road cycling/pedestrian pathway as well as traffic signal upgrades
• Continued drainage improvements including an upgrade of the Bath Slough pump station to provide greater pumping capacity

Community Social Services:

• Funding for affordable housing projects and initiatives to ensure affordable rents to Richmond residents

Economic Development:

• Significant Heritage investment with projects at the Japanese building on Moncton, as well as extensive upgrades at Britannia Heritage Shipyards to help maintain the City’s link with the past

Facility Development:

• $2M in upgrades to the West Richmond Community Centre to ensure continued use and enjoyment for City residents

Financial Management:

• $5M in funding has been put in place to ensure the City’s can adhere to the land acquisition strategy to meet the long term needs of the City

Sustainability:

• Expansion of the City’s Food Scraps/Organics Recycling Program will see $3.25 invested in equipment and rollout of the program to all single family and town homes in the City
• Railway Avenue Greenway - $2M will be invested to construct the 4.0 m wide two-way multi-use asphalt pathway for with connections to existing trails and bus stops on Railway Avenue improving access to green-space corridors  as well as linking neighbourhoods together