Town accepts bid for phase two of the Erin Rotary Riverwalk trail

ERIN – Council here has accepted the bid of $286,825 to move forward with phase two of the Erin Rotary Riverwalk trail.

In a Feb. 10 meeting, council reviewed a report prepared by the town’s director of infrastructure services Nick Colucci on the bids received for phase two of the town’s trail, which runs along the lower West Credit River.

Council directed staff to accept the bid received from Quality Property Services for constructing phase two for a contract value of $286,825 (excluding HST).

In 2016, discussions between the town’s economic development and the mayor concluded a “Riverwalk” trailway project would be worth investigating.

Since then, the town has completed phase one which included excavating a five-foot-wide pathway, a bed of compacted gravel and a top layer of compacted limestone screening, among other work.  

Phase one was built in 2017 and runs along Church Boulevard from Churchill Lane south behind the Marc’s Valu-Mart on Main Street.

In August, the town completed a request for proposal (RFP) to retain a consultant to complete a detailed design of phase two of the trail. 

The RFP was awarded by council to AECOM Canada Limited. 

The design was completed, and all approvals were obtained to permit the tender of the project. 

The consultant along with staff prepared the tender document and posted the bid document on the town’s website to bids and tenders. 

The closing date of the request for tender was Dec. 10. Nine bids were received and reviewed by staff and the consultant.

The bid received from Quality Property Service for $286,825 (excluding HST) was determined by staff to be within the capital budget amount of $300,000. 

In addition to the contract amount, staff are anticipating an additional amount of $60,000 for consulting fees, which includes both past fees spent and future anticipated fees. 

“Once we award the contract, we’d coordinate with the contractor to order all the materials that would be required because there are some site furnishings and they would start later in the spring, probably in May,” Colucci explained to council. 

“We do have some work that’s close to the river so there is a timing issue window that we couldn’t do work near there during that period,” he added. 

“And they would finish the work by the end of the summer more than likely and then the trail would be open.”

Staff recommended utilizing the cash in lieu of parkland reserve to fund the remaining amount in excess of the $300,000 budgeted amount.

Reporter