Frequently asked questions

Local firm Colbourne & Kembel Architects Inc. (CKA) were chosen to adapt the existing structure for this new use. Principal architect Todd Colbourne grew up in the area and is dedicated to improving Frontenac County campus while preserving the building's rich history. CKA has a strong track record designing sympathetic conversions of heritage buildings into useful, modern workspaces in Kingston.

Prior to construction, there were between 25 and 35 employees working in the building on any given day. Many more used the building as a home base or touch-down space. Others were at work in the field or in their home offices. These staff members provide administrative support to Fairmount Home, Frontenac Paramedics, the Planning and Economic Development Department, and the Howe Island Ferry. More than 400 Frontenac County employees work at various locations across the County and in the City of Kingston.

Emmons and Mitchell Construction Limited of Kingston was awarded the construction contract.

The renovations include modernizing the existing office spaces and three small additions to the existing structure. There will be a remodeled and expanded entrance, a staff meeting room and collaboration space, and a new combination Frontenac County Council chamber and Cataraqui Conservation boardroom. A drawing showing the ground-floor additions can be found here.

The history is of the site and buildings is pretty interesting. Learn more at Aragon Road History.

A full archaeological study was completed by Abacus Archaeological Services in 2021. You can see the full report here.

No, but the renovation design is nevertheless sympathetic with the existing building. Much of the existing façade will remain untouched.

The value of the construction contract is $4.5 million.

The site is also home to Fairmount Home and County Pines Apartments. Neither of these buildings will be affected by this project. County Pines is owned by the City of Kingston and is on a separate parcel of land. Construction of a new Frontenac Paramedics station is also scheduled to begin this year on the opposite, or north, side of the property from the joint administrative facility building.

We anticipate construction will be complete in late 2023.

The site is already zoned for its intended uses, so no variances were needed. A revised site plan, including the new building footprint and changes to parking arrangements, was submitted to the City of Kingston. You can see it here.

A full site survey was completed by Hopkins Chitty Land Surveyors Inc. A copy of the survey report can be found here.

It's a long road. Discussions and planning for this project began almost 10 years ago.

The building will be approximately 3,000 square feet. It will include a two-bay ambulance garage and staff quarters.

Wemp & Smith Construction Ltd. was awarded the contract for the new station.

The value of the contract to design and build the new station is $3 million.

The base will be located at the north entrance to Frontenac County campus with access to Battersea Rd. A site plan was prepared by Fotenn Planning + Design. It can be seen here. 

That part of the Frontenac County campus was undeveloped.

A tree inventory of the site was completed by a qualified arborist. Only trees now on the construction site will be removed. Significant specimen trees will be preserved. Perimeter vegetation will be maintained, except at access points.

Frontenac County campus is also home to Fairmount Home, County Pines Apartments, and the new Frontenac County/Cataraqui Conservation joint administration facility. None of these buildings will be affected by this project. County Pines is owned by the City of Kingston and is on separate parcel of land.

A full archaeological study was completed by Abacus Archaeological Services in 2021. You can see the full report here.

No, the new station will have dedicated parking and access to Battersea Rd.

Sirens are used only for the most urgent calls. It is anticipated that paramedics will respond from this new station with sirens on average about three times a day. 

The site is zoned rural. Building the station is already permitted and the construction will not require any zoning amendments. All zoning setbacks, requirements, and rules will be respected. A site plan and traffic impact study will be submitted to the City of Kingston as part of the building permitting process.

Frontenac County planning staff conducted or arranged for the necessary site studies and are working with City of Kingston planning staff to secure the necessary approvals before construction can begin. You can see the site concept plan here.

A full site survey of Frontenac County campus, including the location of the new base, was completed by Hopkins Chitty Land Surveyors Inc. A copy of the survey report can be found HERE. 

Paramedic bases are strategically placed throughout the region to address existing and projected call volume. The paramedics stationed at the Battersea Road base will serve the eastern part of South Frontenac, Highway 401 and Montreal Street corridor.  Full details including the reports and background can be found here.

The expansion contingency is not part of this project. There are no plans for further construction on the site. 

The base is designed for two 24-hour shifts of paramedics. Paramedics work in teams of two, so at any point on any given day, four paramedics may work out of the location. To begin, we anticipate that one team will be working during each of the day and night shifts.

Yes. That project is still in the plan. It will proceed when our project partners are ready to build. Learn more about Frontenac Paramedics and its plans for the future here. 

Generally, yes. However, paramedic services in Ontario operate in a seamless manner, meaning the closest available paramedic crew responds to any given call regardless of where they are based. If a nearby call comes in while paramedics based at the new station are already busy with other patients, the closest available paramedics will respond. 

Four main ventilation systems that handle supply, return and exhaust air for corridors, common areas, and resident rooms will be replaced. The locations of existing equipment are indicated by the orange arrows in the above picture.

The work is expected to begin in early fall with anticipated completion by the end of 2022. 

The work will be completed by E.S. Fox Ltd., a Niagara Falls-based construction firm with a division located in Kingston.

Total cost for the Fairmount HVAC upgrades is $1.4 million. $1.2 million comes from the COVID-19 Resilience Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. $86,000 comes from the Frontenac County Capital Replacement Reserve. $184,000 will come from the City of Kingston.

There will likely be some occasional noise during daytime hours associated with the work and possibly from construction on the joint administrative facility happening next door. No Fairmount residents should need to move out of their rooms because of this work but two residents will need to be relocated temporarily due to construction work on the joint administration facility happening next door. Daily activities inside the home should proceed as usual. And there will be some interesting goings-on for residents to see.

As always, the safety and comfort of our residents is our top priority. 

There will be a crane outside occasionally for lifting mechanical components on and off the roof. That work could necessitate occasional changes in parking arrangements for visitors.