Project Awarded to Coast Tsimshian Northern Contractors Alliance at Last Week’s Meeting
PRINCE RUPERT, AUGUST 26th, 2024 – At the August 19th Council meeting, Council took the next steps to upgrade the former GM MacCarthy dealership site to meet the needs of the Public Works Department as a new facility. The building has already undergone upgrades to the interior mezzanine since the City took occupancy of the site, and the first phase of design and cost estimating for the full build-out was awarded to CTNCA in the first quarter of 2024 through an open bid process.
With a price of approximately $6 Million, current estimates anticipate the cost to come in lower than previous estimates for the project, and will allow for a phased occupation of the building starting by the end of 2024. All estimates have been exclusive of the purchase price of the property, and costs are currently proposed to be funded by new revenue sources and by Legacy Inc.
This proposal includes a new purpose-built office and lunchroom building space on the Chamberlin Avenue side of the site (see proposed design image), and use of the existing dealership building primarily for mechanic and warehousing use. This will limit the scope of improvements to the existing building to mechanical and electrical service improvements to suit the proposed use and ensure that all buildings can easily comply with current Building Code.
The City has leased the building since 2022, with project and holding costs thus far funded through Legacy Inc. The City’s intention is to maintain paying for this project through new revenue or dividends from Legacy, and not property taxes.
BACKGROUND:
The current Public Works yard dates back to the early 1950s and has seen little to no renewal. In 2016, the Operations Department completed an extensive assessment that brought forward many safety hazards, including the presence of mold, non-compliance with electrical code, and, most of all, structural deficiencies. This assessment concluded parts of the buildings are unsafe. Staff has since only used the main Public Works building for transient occupancy and move into used secondhand portable ATCO trailers as an interim solution. These portables were a temporary stop-gap and are now starting to leak. They have electrical, heating, and rodent issues and are showing signs of overall failure.
The current location of the Public Works yard is not suitable for rebuilding due to its poor geotechnical and environmental conditions and is difficult to access at peak traffic times. Given these challenges, management staff worked to find a more permanent and suitable solution for housing its over 60 staff members.
As the community knows, existing industrial lands in the community are challenging to find, especially with existing buildings and servicing. The City identified the former McCarthy dealership, which had been closed for 2 years at the time, as both a central location with adequate lot space to house City works. This is a more cost effective approach as compared to building a new Public Works facility on the existing site, which also has less favourable geotechnical and environmental conditions.
In 2022, the City signed a 5 year lease for the building with an exclusive option to purchase. The lease option is preferred as a fully new build of a Public Works facility would first require identifying appropriate lands, to be followed by architectural designs and obtaining contracting services.
The existing Wantage Road facilities will still be used for storage of gravel and materials, with staff offices and primary work areas moving to the new location.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Veronika Stewart, Manager of Communications, Engagement and Social Development
Office: (250) 627 0976
Cell: (778) 884 6285
Email: veronika.stewart@princerupert.ca