The architects and engineers working on Sackville’s new municipal building have been forced to go back to the drawing board to revise their plans for the project after the first set of contractors’ bids failed to meet budget.
Members of town council were expected to award a contract during a special meeting last Tuesday night that would have started the ball rolling on the construction of Sackville’s new town hall and emergency services building.
Instead, they were forced to delay the project once again, saying they were not willing to spend more than what was budgeted and the tenders would need to be adjusted in order to reduce the costs.
“We realize we’re in a time crunch here and everyone wants to get moving on this. But we also want to make sure we do this in a fiscally responsible way,” said Coun. Merrill Fullerton.
Coun. John Higham explained that six tenders were received from contractors by the town’s Aug. 13 deadline but all came in over the anticipated budget.
“So now we’ll go back and reduce the selected items and then re-issue a revised set of tenders,” he said.
Higham insisted that the new tender documents will still ensure the building maintains the same size and functionality as originally proposed, while at the same time upholding the promise to meet strict energy-efficiency standards.
Sackville’s chief administrative officer Eric Mourant said in its revisions, the town does not plan to sacrifice any of the main components of the building, including workspace areas or operational features. But he pointed out that “there are still some extras that we will be able to eliminate” in the new documents to keep the construction costs on target.
“It’s paramount for us to live within our means and live up to our word,” said Mourant.
Just exactly what those extras are, however, have yet to be determined and officials are hesitant to reveal those details until the architects and engineers have had the opportunity to rework the tender and bring it forward to council for debate.
But Mourant pointed out that any changes that are approved will not affect the town’s eligibility to be awarded funds under the Green Municipal Fund. Sackville is in line for up to $1 million in grants for the new building as long as it meets the national energy code by more than 60 per cent.
The revised tender documents will be re-issued as soon as possible, said Mourant, with the hold-up expected to cause a month-long delay in construction start-up.
Council still anticipates, however, that the building could be completed on time as long as the foundation and steel work is laid by this winter.
