Tillsonburg may be closer to a new town hall.

Council asked staff to return in open session with a comprehensive report including detailed costing and a proposed design for a Customer Service Centre renovation, and it approved a new town hall reserve now holding $2.55 million.

Council discussed plans for a new town hall in closed session on Dec. 8 and directed staff to report back in open session with a comprehensive report that includes detailed costing and a proposed design for a Customer Service Centre design-build renovation. Two criteria of the Ontario Municipal Act were cited as the reason for the closed discussion. Council had earlier approved a demolition-and-rebuild design for 10 Lisgar Ave but later paused that plan to explore alternate sites, including a town-owned parcel on Harvey Street. The former Peavey Mart location was also considered previously but appears to have been abandoned. Key details: - Council directed staff to present a comprehensive report in open session with detailed costing and a proposed design for a Customer Service Centre design-build renovation. - Cost estimates reported earlier ranged from $10.9 million to $12.4 million for a new build at 10 Lisgar Ave and $7.4 million to $11.4 million for a Harvey Street build; those estimates did not include costs to renovate the existing 10 Lisgar Ave. structure. - A closed-session item titled "Offer to Purchase - Portion of Ground Lease Lands (Harvey)" was discussed, but it was not made public whether that related to buying or selling town land. - Council previously passed a motion that construction could not start until 50 percent of costs were covered by the sale of existing assets. - Council approved creating a town hall reserve, which currently holds $2.55 million, including $1.7 million from the sale of 25 Maple Lane and additional savings from lower rent and an under-budget capital item. Summary: The immediate effect is the establishment of a dedicated town hall reserve with $2.55 million and a clear funding threshold that requires 50 percent of costs to be secured from asset sales before construction can begin. Staff will bring a comprehensive report with detailed costing and a proposed design to an open council meeting at a future date.