The city’s much-anticipated recreation complex on West Street may not be ready to open this year.
In a report from the Recreation Project Team, that will be discussed at Monday night’s city council meeting, staff reveal that the contractor told them in January the building will not be completed until the first quarter of 2019.
“This schedule was not accepted,” says the report.
In an effort to keep the project on track, staff have adopted an “aggressive” approach with the contractor.
“Staff and consultants have continued to work aggressively with the contractor to achieve construction milestones that will get the facility open as quickly as possible, without compromising the quality of the construction,” the report says.
The hope was the aquatic centre would be operational in September of this year. The project was on track until late in the fall. At that point, “the contractor indicated the opening may be later. At that time, this proposed schedule was not accepted by staff and consultants.”
The report notes that, “with all construction projects, there can be a number of issues that contribute to construction schedule challenges which include inclement weather, site and soil conditions, material supply and trade coordination.”
Despite those challenges, staff is working with the contractor in a bid to get the project back on track. “In an effort to achieve the construction milestones required to accelerate and expedite the schedule," the following actions are being undertaken:
- Additional site supervision by contractor;
- Use of multiple cranes on site;
- Regular meetings with the trades on the critical path;
- Subcontractor employees working weekends and providing multiple crews, where possible;
- Scheduling multiple tiling crews for the pool subcontractor to tile the aquatics area;
- Scheduling of the pool ceiling trades; and
- Verification of pool equipment delivery
While staff hope these measures are helpful, they say there’s only so much they can do. “Ultimately, the control and responsibility of the schedule lies legally with the general contractor.”
The report from the Recreation Project Team also includes information about the group’s meetings and provides an update on the project budget. As of Feb. 20, $18,299,132 of the $53,690,000 budget has been spent.
The report was requested by Coun. Mason Ainsworth in the wake of a controversial closed-session meeting Feb. 5. Prior to the regular, open meeting, council held an almost two-hour closed session that Ainsworth, Coun. Sarah Valiquette-Thompson and Coun. Rob Kloostra wanted held in an open forum.
At the time, Ainsworth told OrilliaMatters: “(It’s) about accountability of council and staff and of the municipality as a whole. If we’re talking about the rec centre, the timeline, money … those discussions can happen in the public realm and I don’t think they should be hidden away for political reasons, which is it’s an election year and some people don’t want to be embarrassed.”
Despite being unsuccessful in convincing the rest of his council colleagues to hold the meeting in public, he was successful in garnering support to have a report completed by staff.
Ainsworth has filed an official complaint with the city’s closed-session investigator about the meeting that was held behind closed doors. No progress has been yet made on that complaint, Ainsworth said.
The report from the project team is part of a packed 195-page agenda on the council table Monday night. Other key items include a report recommending council forgive a $390,000 loan to the proponents of the Building Hope project, a recommendation that development charges be deferred for two years for a Barrie Road housing project, an update on broadband connectivity and several other issues.
