Site being prepared for future Erin library

ERIN — Development of new Erin Library is moving forward.

The County of Wellington’s Information, Heritage and Seniors Committee will decide Wednesday whether to award Roof Tile Management Inc. an initial construction project to prepare the site at 51 Main St., Erin for the future library. Any decision made at that meeting will need to be ratified by county council before it becomes official.

As far back as 2021, the Wellington County Library Board planned to erect this new library.

“The Grist Mill property was purchased in 2022 as the site for the new branch,” stated a report to the committee from Rebecca Hine, chief librarian, and Chanda Gilpin, assistant chief librarian.

Now that the site for the new library has been purchased, at the grist mill, construction work needs to be done in order to prepare the site for the future library.

“The Grist Mill stabilization tender is expected to clean up the site and provide more cost certainty for the project in advance of a construction tender,” stated a separate report from Jackie Osti, manager, purchasing and risk management services.

County staff set up a project scope of what construction needs to be done at this point.

Four companies submitted bids to do the work. Roof Tile Management Inc. was the cheapest by well over $400,000.

Staff is recommending awarding to the lowest bidder meeting the specifications, Roof Tile Management Inc., of Mississauga, at the total tendered price of $1,269,700.

This initial construction project has been divided into 10 smaller projects. The first listed project is to remove substantial portions of the current building.

“Demolition/removal of all existing wood and timber floor structures, roof structure, concrete block window infill, window frames, door frames, electrical wiring, floor cladding all back to existing stone structure,” stated the Osti report.

The second and third task involve using shoring then infill to protect the stone structure.

“Provide engineered shoring and protection of the existing stone structure,” stated the Osti report.

“Provide plywood infill to protect all exposed portion of the existing stone building,” stated the Osti report.

Jesse Gault is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.