NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF GUELPH
*************************
The timeline for the Wilson Street parkade is expected to be deferred in order to re-issue the design-build request for proposal (RFP).
“To stay within our approved budget and ensure accountability to our taxpayers, we are proactively adjusting and reissuing the Wilson Street parkade RFP, which will mean a change to the project’s original timeline,” explains Scott Stewart, deputy chief administrative officer of Infrastructure, Development and Enterprise Services.
The four proposals received through the original RFP, issued in August 2016, significantly exceeded the Council approved budget for the Wilson Street parkade project. As a result, the City was unable to award a winning proposal and the RFP was cancelled. The City has since adjusted the requirements of the parkade to issue a new RFP that will better reflect the project budget and the must have elements for the parkade structure. The new RFP was issued today.
It is expected that re-issuing the RFP will postpone the start of the parkade construction by about one year. The exact project timeline will be determined based on the new schedule agreed to by the City and the winning proponent of the new RFP.
Highlights of the adjustments to the parkade project RFP include:
- Setting the number of parking spaces for the parkade at 300-350.
- Specifying the project budget of $12,685,000, including parkade, bridge and final roadwork.
- Reducing the cash allowance by approximately $700,000.
- Reducing the size of the main entrance lobby by approximately 60 per cent.
- Reducing the bicycle storage capacity from 60 to 40 bicycles.
- Reducing car charging stations from four to two stations, while retaining the ability to grow up to 80 spaces in the future.
- The integrated art component is requested as a separate cost.
- The digital car counting system is requested as a separate cost.
- The supply and installation of the banners at the Norfolk pedestrian bridge and/or “veteran’s bridge” improvements are requested as a separate cost.
About the Wilson Street reconstruction and parkade project
The Wilson Street reconstruction and parkade project includes building a parkade in the Wilson Street parking lot; upgrading Wilson Street from Gordon/Norfolk Street to Macdonell Street (Schedule B Municipal Class Environmental Assessment); and upgrading the aging pedestrian bridge over Norfolk Street.
*************************
