Staff estimates it will cost about $27,000, including a $2,500 appraisal of the collection, to dismantle the museum to allow a tenant to take over the space in time for July 1.
Council voted to shut down the museum during this year's budget deliberations. Total Hockey was constructed less than five years ago at a cost of $1.8 million to house the Brian McFarlane collection, purchased in 2003 for $225,000. Far fewer people than originally forecast had visited the much-maligned facility since its October 2006 opening.
Monday, council gave preliminary approval to staff spending the estimated $27,000 to dismantle the museum, to allow a new tenant into the space.
At the moment, staff is dealing with both finding a tenant for the space and determining what to do with the artifacts housed by the museum, said Sharon Meredith of the Municipality's Community Services department.
Some councillors wondered why a new appraisal was necessary.
According to the appraisal done five years before council purchased it, the collection was worth $112,825.
Clarington paid $225,000.
"The purchase included some services from Brian McFarlane," Ms. Meredith said. Included were so-called "soft services" including consulting services from Mr. McFarlane and his wife as well as the exhibition licence for Peter Puck, which Mr. McFarlane created. Peter Puck's image was allowed to be used in connection with Total Hockey events for a limited time.
"We bought the Total Hockey package without an appraisal or with an appraisal that was 10 years old?" asked Regional Councillor Mary Novak, who was not on council at the time of the purchase.
"There was an appraisal provided at the point of purchase and sale, that was done in December 1998," five years prior to Clarington buying the collection, Ms. Meredith said.
"Was there anything in the agreement saying that in the event of dissolution, some of those soft services would be refunded back?" Coun. Novak asked.
"Not that I recall," Ms. Meredith answered.
Staff is in the midst of going through information from people who have bid to use the Total Hockey space and are to report back on the matter later this month.
