Work is set to get under way in the next few weeks on development of the site that will house the town's new $12-million emergency services and town hall facility.

With a price tag of more than $800,000, town council awarded the tender earlier this month for preliminary site work on the Main Street property to Beale & Inch Construction of Sackville.

Michael Beal, the town's acting CAO and treasurer, said this work will include "removing any unacceptable fill, relocating existing service pipes, preparing the site for construction, and bringing the site up to an acceptable grade."

The Beale & Inch contract came in at $693,315 (plus HST) and also included a $50,000 contingency for "any unexpected things that may take place that will require extra money," said Beal.

Beale & Inch is expected to begin work on the project in early December and will continue as long as the weather holds out. Then they will finish up the job in early spring, he said.

The low tender from Beale & Inch came in under what was budgeted ($900,000) for this stage of the project, Beal pointed out.

"So the town continues to be on target for construction dates and is under budget."

The house on the Main Street property is expected to be torn down and removed from the site before the end of this month in preparation for the site work.

Council also hired Gemtec Inc. of Moncton, at a cost of $48,000 (plus HST), to provide geo-technical inspection services during the pre-construction phase.

"They will be testing the material and fill as it's coming in," said Beal, who noted Gemtec has been doing testing on the site since day one when the town was contemplating purchase of the property.

Meanwhile, now that architects have completed the design development phase of the project, they have started working on the construction documents that will go out to tender in early 2010, he said.