ARTHUR – After years of county planning, the new 38,900-square-foot Arthur garage is officially open.
The grand opening took place on May 22 to coincide with National Public Works Week, and included county staff, councillors and project staff.
“I felt it was a great event and was a big step forward for our roads division to have a new facility to work out of,” county engineer Don Kudo told the Advertiser.
The building was designed by L. Allan Grinham Architects and built by Dakon Construction.
According to officials, the new garage is barrier-free and meets the county’s highest Green Legacy building standard, ensuring the garage is energy efficient and environmentally responsible.
The new garage includes:
– six large truck storage and service bays;
– one large truck wash bay;
– tool, equipment and maintenance supply rooms;
– office, administration and training areas for roads division and solid waste division staff;
– barrier-free staff areas and washrooms;
– cold climate air source heat pump HVAC system;
– energy recovery ventilation system;
– rainwater collection system for vehicle washing facilities;
– lighting systems throughout;
– full operational capacity emergency electrical generator; and
– mass timber superstructure/fully sprinklered facility.
“The county has eight garages and this is the third garage we’ve been able to renew,” explained Kudo.
He noted the overall size of the garage had to be increased to accommodate larger modern equipment.
“Staff facilities at these garages really need updating to once again meet the county standard for our staff.”
Construction on the project began in the fall of 2023 and proceeded through 2024, with finishing touches occurring in the spring.
“There are still some minor features to be completed,” Kudo said. “Since we still have the old Arthur Garage, there’s time for us to transition over.”
Green features include a rainwater collection system for truck-washing operations and a mass timber “superstructure” that replaces carbon-intensive conventional steel construction.
The release also noted:
– an electrical distribution system provided for future EV charging;
– high efficiency exterior building envelope insulation design; and
– provision of essential underground infrastructure to support future EMS facility on site.
“The final numbers for a project of this scale won’t be in until end of year, but at this time it’s still on budget at $16.8 million,” Kudo said.
Funding for this project includes $11.4 million from growth-related debentures, $4.8 million from the roads capital reserve and $567,000 from development charges.
At this time, the county has no plans regarding the old Arthur site.
“It was time to expand and update the Arthur garage,” roads committee chair Gregg Davidson stated in a press release.
“The new garage is four times the size of the former structure, better accommodates current equipment needs and will serve as a vital hub for northern roads operations and maintenance.”
Erin garage
“Erin garage is next and staff are currently working on the preliminary design,” Kudo stated.
A modernized building will be replacing the existing garage on the same site, differing from the Arthur project.
“We need to come back to the roads committee with a preliminary design and budget,” he explained.
“We’re hoping to get that designed and tendered in the fall.”
The county plans to spend $4.06 million on the project in 2025 and $12.05 in 2026.
