The region will take over the old courthouse when the new one currently under construction is complete next year.

Regional councillors awarded a $786,434 consulting agreement this week to Robertson Simmons Architects Inc. for design and engineering services.

Coun. Jean Haalboom is planning a tour for local heritage advocates to review the building. She said she’d like to see heritage value incorporated into the renovation.

“I think it’s important for us to have, shall I say, a value walk,” she said. “Just to identify what would be of value. Before any work is done (we need) to have a walk there to see what we (might) consider important and how to adapt it from there.”

Gary Sosnoski, commissioner of corporate resources, said the firm working on the project is open to those considerations. “The firm itself has experience (with adaptive reuse) throughout southern Ontario,” he said.

The company worked previously on the Breithaupt Block in Kitchener, he said. “I’m sure we will do everything required to get the building up to our standard.”

Located at 20 Weber St. in Kitchener, the building was constructed in 1963 as the courthouse and county administration building. Its five floors boast about 60,000 square feet and is listed on the City of Kitchener’s municipal heritage register as a non-designated property of cultural heritage value or interest.

Heritage features are expected to be incorporated into the design.

pdesmond@therecord.com