A local company will build the long-awaited expansion on the Armstrong Spallumcheen fire hall.
Armstrong’s Maddocks Construction has been awarded the tender for the project.
Its bid of $1,575,764 was the lowest of two bids received.
“This fire hall renovation has been in the works for a long time and we are going to make the 40-plus members of our fire department extremely happy with this announcement,” said Armstrong Mayor Chris Pieper.
In addition to the construction costs, the project includes professional fees calculated as a percentage of the total construction costs.
Based on the bid from Maddocks Construction, the total project cost would be estimated at $1,924,130.
The original estimated total project cost from last September was $1,735,970, a difference of $188,160 (the Township of Spallumcheen’s share would be 60 per cent of the difference, or $112,896 while the City of Armstrong’s share would be 40 per cent or $75,264).
The township voted Monday to use funds from its unallocated capital infrastructure reserve to make up its share of the difference.
Armstrong council was given three options by chief financial officer Terry Martens to come up with the $75,000-plus.
Council members voted unanimously to use prior years’ surplus funds (of which $265,000 is currently available).
“While these funds are normally held for more urgent situations, in this case, there still would be a reasonable amount left for such purposes if utilized for the fire hall,” said Martens in a report to city council.
Work on the expansion is expected to commence in the coming weeks and should be completed in the summer of 2016.
“This project does not, by any means, make a Taj Mahal,” said Pieper.
“It meets the standards that weren’t in place 36 years ago when the fire hall was built.
“There will be a place to finally hang the fire hoses without crawling up ladders, more training rooms, more space for the fire trucks; they won’t have to park one sideways and one lengthways to get in the fire hall.”
