Staff
It may be another year before the Rainy Lake Market Square is built.
Town administration is seeking to delay the project until the 2017 construction season, with work anticipated to begin in spring and the square ready for use by mid-summer.
While the demolition, backfilling, and grading of the site, as well as the awarding of a contract for an architect, all were completed on schedule, the construction drawings and specifications have been delayed.
They are more than a month late—cutting into the 2016 construction season, Operations and Facilities manager Travis Rob wrote in a report to be received by town council at its regular meeting tonight.
Given the tender process to find a contractor would take at least a month, this would push the construction start date sometime into September—allowing for only about one month of weather suitable for this type of construction.
This is not enough time as the project will take an estimated eight-10 weeks to complete, he added.
Preliminary design drawings were received April 28 and the design subsequently was forwarded to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. and FedNor, two of the agencies helping fund the project.
FedNor provided positive comments on the design but the NOHFC “highlighted a discrepancy between the wording in the funding agreement and the proposed design,” sparking the need to complete a change request, noted Rob.
The change request is in the process of being completed and submitted, along with costing data, to the NOHFC for its consideration.
However, the change request cannot be considered until its board meeting in October.
As such, administration is recommending construction be delayed until next year, and the appropriate documents be filed with the NOHFC and FedNor to extend the project deadline to Dec. 31, 2017.
Administration also is recommending the design work currently being completed by Scatliff + Miller + Murray be put on hold until the wording issue can be resolved with the NOHFC.
But there is a bright side.
“A delay of this matter will very likely help the project as a tender will be prepared and released immediately after the new year in 2017, allowing for the most competitive pricing among the bidders, as well as allow for an early-spring construction start, meaning that the market square will be ready for use mid-summer 2017,” noted Rob.
The committee of the whole will meet first at 5:30 p.m., but will go in-camera for an indefinite length of time to discuss three items (all related to labour relations or personnel).
However, the agenda specifies that funds will be given out to the successful recipients of the 2016 Moffat Family Fund starting at 7 p.m.
Other business on tonight’s agenda includes:
•biannual activity reports (Jan. 1-June 30) from the Planning and Development division, Operations and Facilities division, Fire Rescue Service, Community Services division, and the Administration and Finance executive committee;
•a recommendation re: additional funds for the multi-use/tennis court project;
•a verbal update on capital projects; and
•a resolution of support for the Northwestern Health Unit re: alcohol misuse.
