A city-owned Burnaby Mountain restaurant will get an all-weather patio after all.
Despite a 30 per cent spike in cost, councillors unanimously approved continuing with a plan to build an enclosed, heated glass patio at Mintara Atop Burnaby Mountain at a meeting Jan. 28.
The project estimate has now come in at $3.4 million, excluding GST and contingencies, according to a staff report which recommended cancelling the project.
But Coun. Daniel Tetrault said the increase only means the project will pay for itself in six to seven years rather than the four to six years originally planned.
“After that, the site is potentially making half a million dollars a year,” he said.
“Just from a business standpoint, I don’t understand why we would abandon this, given the quick payback, the benefit to the community and that site, and also the fact that we’ve already spent over $400,000 on the original contract.”
Coun. Sav Dhaliwal agreed continuing with the patio would be the better course of action.
“I believe that (approving the project) is the more prudent way to go, rather than cancelling this project and sinking that money, and then two years from now, we say, ‘Well, wish we had done it.’”
The city has already spent about $459,000 on the project to date.
Staff said the building was originally built in 1985 but went through a major renovation to rebuild the second floor after a fire in 2011.
The new patio will add about 2,000 square feet of dining space and 50 seats to the existing 120 seats indoors.
It will include a complete bar, barbecue section and basement storage space.
Staff will have to reprioritize the project in the city’s draft five-year capital plan.
The city’s public budget planning process is expected to begin in February.
