Three years after it was initially expected to be finished, work on the Guelph police headquarters expansion and renovation project is “almost complete,” with previously relocated staff returning to the building,
“We know the project took longer than expected; we learned a lot about the additional complexities when renovating an occupied building, and our rigorous project management processes allowed us to navigate a challenging situation to a successful outcome and a building we can be proud of,” said Ken VanderWal, the project’s manager, in a news release.
Approved by city council in 2014, with a tender offer accepted two years later, the expansion and renovation effort was expected to be done in 2019.
The project has been plagued by delays and was already running more than a year behind schedule when, during the summer of 2020, the original contractor heading up the effort was released by the city. At the time, city officials stated several deficiencies had been identified and not appropriately corrected.
Efforts were then on hold for several months until the city’s bonding agent took over the project.
All identified major deficiencies have now been addressed.
“The contractor will continue to address minor deficiencies and repair any defects covered by warranty,” the news release states, noting the project is running about $2.7 million over the $34.1 million budget approved by council. “These costs, which include impacts from unexpected site conditions and inflation, will be covered by a combination of development charges and tax charges.”
However, deputy CAO Jayne Holmes previously told GuelphToday the project’s final cost may change depending on the outcome of an arbitration process with the original contractor, who has a $7.14 million lawsuit filed against the city.
A timeline for the arbitration process has not been set, but Holmes doesn’t expect it to start before the end of the year.
The police headquarters project includes the addition of two new wings and extensive renovation of the Wyndham Street South building.
