County council has awarded a tender for a pavilion and washrooms for the Green Legacy tree nursery, but not before getting questions about the high cost from a councilor.
Manager of Purchasing Mark Bolzon presented council with a report on the project. He explained the budget for the work was approved in January, and the county received a Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RINC) grant for two thirds of the cost.
The project includes washrooms and shower facilities for staff and volunteers, and a pavilion for educational and planting events.
When staff issued the tender call, it received four bids from contractors that he already qualified to bid on the work.
Dakon Construction Limited, of Waterloo, was the low bidder at $192,086. Being situated close to the project in Puslinch Township was, apparently not a factor in that bid. A firm from Cambridge was the highest at $272,000, and another firm from Guelph bid $257,839. A Brantford firm had the second lowest bid at $242,800.
Councillor Lou Maieron noted Bolzon’s report stated the budget was $330,000 total, for the work, and wondered if the county was saving money.
Treasurer Craig Dyer said that is not the case, because the final cost to the county did not include the RINC grant. Bolzon’s report noted the county could pay for the work with its budgeted money, plus a “small contribution from the property budget ($25,000.)”
Dyer explained that the project also includes some trail work and kiosks on the property in Puslinch Township, and, “There’s probably a dozen different components to this project.”
Maieron asked how much the pavilion would cost, and Dyer said $25,000.
Maieron then asked, “How big are these washrooms?”
Dyer did not know.
Maieron said when the issue came up, “It made me scratch my head.” He explained that it seemed to him the washrooms are costing $80,000 each, or $200 a square foot. “In new construction, these [figures] are awfully big,” he said.
County planner Gary Cousins said the washrooms are 420 square feet each and there are men’s and women’s rooms.
He added, “The costs seemed high to me, but three others were much higher.”
Cousins explained that one reason was the contractor could not use the current septic tanks on the property, and needs to build a new system. “I don’t have the numbers on that.”
Maieron said he would like to know the cost per square foot.
Councillor Mark MacKenzie, though, explained that the washrooms also have to meet all the accessibility rules, and that means more expenses.
Council then approved the tender and the project to Dakon Construction.
