The tender for a $137,000 washroom building and pavilion in MacKenzie Park was awarded by Tay council to Prestige Steel Buildings who will sole source the construction, as per an early morning special meeting of council.
“This project has also been partially funded by contributions from the community fundraisers,” said Coun. Mary Warnock. “There was a group and community involvement in this project, and it has been delayed for a couple of years now for various reasons.
“I’m anxious to see it completed, and I think doing it under budget is a bonus. And I think going with the steel structure will also result in a low-maintenance asset for the community,” Warnock concluded.
Within the 2021 capital budget for Tay, $144,200 was allocated to the washroom, which Prestige Steel Buildings quoted for $66,351 (net HST) without interior works such as fixtures, plumbing and electricity. The pavilion was quoted as $74,158 (net HST) over the allocated $45,516, creating a buffer of approximately $49,210 for the interior works of the washroom.
CAO Lindsay Barron spoke to the finances of the highly anticipated project.
“We did tender the washroom building last year and unfortunately those results did come in higher than anticipated. As a result ,we assigned the manager of parks and recreation and facilities to that project, and to undertake the role of the general contractor for that project.
“Unfortunately, due to a number of other priorities -- staffing, resources, and challenges -- we’re still at a standstill,” Barron admitted.
The reason for the early Tuesday morning special meeting of council was to act in haste to meet the demands of the construction market, where the cost of steel continues to rise.
In 2020, the MacKenzie Park washroom building was designed to look exactly like the Albert Street Park washroom building, but has since differed in design, materials and proposed construction.
“Just to speak to the building itself, it’s not the same as the original,” Deputy Mayor Gerard LaChapelle explained. “But as councillor Warnock attested, it’s appropriate for what’s down there. It’s not the same as what’s on Albert Street. I think what we’re doing is the right move. It does replace (the former), and give us a need that’s down there. “
Coun. Jeff Bumstead was wary of the difference in design, asking staff “about tendering out, because essentially we’re getting a different product than what was intended originally.”
LaChapelle responded, “Are we putting ourselves at risk? I don’t think so. I think the opportunity to proceed with this and get some conclusion is important, and I don’t want to see any further delay.”
The motion to approve the tender was carried unanimously.
