Steve Somerville
The new civic centre, as seen from the old centre’s south view, looking east. Construction is approximately 40 per cent complete the city’s commissioner of community services says.
Vaughan
August 14, 2008 11:17 PM
New city hall on budget, on schedule, so far
Caroline Grech
The new Vaughan city hall is well on its way to completion, despite early challenges faced in the construction process.
The new civic centre, being built right beside the current facility at 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr., is nearly 40 per cent complete.
“The foundation is in and the topping off of the building milestone is expected to occur at the end of August,” Commissioner of Community Services, Marlon Kallideen said. He added the structural part of the building is coming along at a quick pace.
The building, which is the largest project ever undertaken by the city, has a price tag of $107 million and is being built by Maystar General Contractors Ltd., designed by KPMB Architects.
Despite some issues, the project is still within the price tag approved back in December 2006.
“We’re still within budget to date,” Mr. Kallideen said, but added there are many variables affecting construction costs.
The four-storey, 314,000-square-foot building was originally slated to be ready by January 2010, but labour strikes, a difficult winter and soil issues caused the project to be delayed.
It is now expected to be completed in February or March 2010.
The proposed Vaughan Civic Centre campus includes a city hall, a resource library, a seniors building and a possible additional office building.
The 20-day strike by labourers and machine operators slowed down the construction process as construction was set to begin.
Once that hurdle was cleared, more water was discovered at the site than was originally identified in the hydrogeological report and more soil contaminated with organic, debris and hydrocarbons were encountered than first expected.
Despite those early problems, the improved weather has allowed the builder to make up for some of the lost time, Mr. Kallideen explained.
Every construction project builds in a 2- to 3-per cent construction contingency plan to accommodate for unplanned costs and the city has done the same, Mr. Kallideen said.
The new civic centre was at the centre of controversy when it was approved almost two years ago, because of the rise in construction costs for the project.
Initially, construction costs were estimated at $72 million in 2003, but with rising material costs that number rose to $85 million.
Controversy also surrounded the awarding of the construction contract to Maystar, which had never built a project as large as this previously.
The new centre will have new technologies, including electronic voting and a multiple monitor/screen projection system in the council chamber.
The building is positioned in such a way to optimize exposure to both the public spaces within the civic centre campus and the buildings.
Building materials include limestone and terra cotta.