Construction of Bradford's new fire station on Melbourne Drive is moving along well, with completion expected by fall 2021.
In Monday evening's Special Committee of the Whole meeting, council received an update on the project from Director of Community Services Terry Foran.
In 2018, council endorsed a plan to build a new fire hall on vacant property at 75 Melbourne Dr., and re-purpose the existing 829 square metre fire station next door as the new home of the town's public works and transportation staff.
The multi-year plan also included upgrades to the facilities on Line 11, that included a public works storage facility and water operations building, completed last year.
The municipality had budgeted $3.5 million for the 11th Line renovations, $6.4 million for the new fire station, and $3 million to renovate the old fire hall, for a total budget of $12.9 million.
Since then, construction costs for the new station have risen.
"We knew that the fire hall was going to be a bit more," said Foran, noting that the Town has been able to achieve savings on other portions of the project.
The 11th Line renovations were completed for just under $2.85 million, a saving of $651,909.
And the tender for the construction of the new fire station, including all site works, a new drive-shed for snow plow equipment and the renovation of the old hall, came in at $9.856 million - $456,396 over the budget, but more than offset by the savings on the 11th Line.
As a result, said Foran, the project is not only on time, it is also currently under budget, by more than $195,500.
"We're still in the good and looking well," he noted.
Foran provided photos of the construction now underway. Although no partition walls are up at the new station, "the trades will be starting this week," he said. "Today we are tracking on schedule with a few bumps in the road with power supply. We are being very optimistic we are tracking well."
"It's excellent to hear we are tracking on time," said Deputy Mayor James Leduc. "Every time I drive by that fire hall, there seems to be something going on...It's good to see."
"Amazing job," said Coun. Peter Dykie, commending the town for starting the project when it did.
"I'm sure if we went to tender today, this building would come in 20-30 percent more," he said, referring to rising costs for lumber, steel and glass, as a result of COVID-19 disruptions.
The Deputy Mayor agreed. "Everything has increased in cost for sure, and Terry and the contractors have done a fantastic job to keep these things rolling," Leduc said. "They've done a great job putting these buildings together for us and at a very reasonable cost."
In response to a query from Mayor Rob Keffer, Foran said that while Management will work from a future new Administration Centre, envisioned on the Bradford Community Centre lands, Public Works supervisors will be stationed at both Operations centres, on Line 11 and at the old fire hall.
Calling the construction "part of our history," Coun. Gary Lamb had one final recommendation: to install a plaque in the new Fire Station, commemorating the hard work that has gone into the project, and listing all those involved.
"I like to see any administration celebrating their successes," he said. "I hope we will mark this fire hall with all the current movers and shakers."
