Two BWG projects on budget, and on time

By Miriam King Bradford Times January 13 2011
There was good news for the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, on January 11.
Both the new Public Library/Cultural Centre and Leisure Centre are on budget – and likely, on time.
Andrew Gordon, of MHPM Project Managers, described the 42,000 sq. ft. Library as the “new gateway to Bradford West Gwillimbury – what an impressive sight!”
The project has a budget of $16.175 million, and Gordon told Council, “You’re going to make your budget. You’re going to be finished on schedule. You’ve got a fabulous building. The quality is great.”
Although the project has used up 132% of its contingency budget, to meet change orders and recent changes in legislation, Gordon said, “other parts of the budget came in significantly under” – leaving a surplus, presently about $30,000.
Most contracts have been awarded, although some tenders for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FFE) are still to be awarded. Elie Newman, with Joseph Bogdan & Associates Architects, said he was “very pleased” with both the presence of the building on Holland, and the progress. “The teamwork has been great on this job.”
Commissioning and testing of the building should be completed by the end of the month; “substantial performance” by February 2011; and complete FFE installation by April, when staff will move in, said Gordon. “The project is currently on schedule” to open in May – and well on its way to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver Certification.
There has been a “bump” in the Leisure Centre schedule, but that is being addressed, said Ron Spina, MHPM Project managers.
The 158,727 sq. ft. Leisure Centre not only has a bigger footprint, but a bigger budget than the Library. So far, just under $11.35 million of the $32.97 million has been spent – and the project is on budget, with a “healthy” amount left for contingencies, said Gerry Pilon, of Salter Pilon + Lett architects.
The problem has been with scheduling. “We felt that the contractor (Aquicon) had slipped… about 2 months behind,” Spina said. “They miscalculated how long it would take to fabricate the structural steel.” To ensure that the project will meet the expected “substantial completion” date of December 2011, MHPM has worked with the contractor to reorganize the construction schedule – for example, by completing the masonry and pouring the concrete for the bleacher seating, before all of the structural steel is in place.
MHPM is also “closely monitoring” construction, to “make sure we don’t have any substandard works that could result in delays.”
Spina outlined a number of “milestones” in the coming year – including the completion of the pool area structural steel by the end of January; installation of the steel deck for the pool and gym by early February; completion of the masonry block by March 4; installation of refrigeration equipment for the rinks by mid-April, and delivery of the Myrtha pools by April 25. The result should be completion by the end of 2011 – and occupancy early in 2012.