Woolwich hopes a one-month delay will translate into a pile of cash for a new community centre in Breslau.
Expecting to hear by the end of June if the township will receive federal and provincial funding for the project, councillors this week pushed back the start of construction to July 2. Work had been expected to get underway June 1.
Woolwich has applied for money from the Building Canada Fund. If approved, the municipality would see the senior governments each kick in one-third of the cost of the $2.2 million project, explained director of recreation and facilities Larry Devitt.
The delay would also give the township and contractor Gateman-Milloy Inc. time to find more efficiencies to hold down costs on the project, he added.
While supportive of the move Tuesday night, Ward 3 Coun. Murray Martin warned against further setbacks for the long-delayed development.
“We haven’t done one thing on time with this project,” he said, noting delays throughout the process and eventually gaining reassurances construction would begin in July no matter what happens with the Building Canada grant.
“I think the community will understand – there’s an awful lot of money at stake here,” noted Coun. Ruby Weber.
Once construction begins, the contractor expects the work to take about 22 weeks to complete. A July 2 start would take the project into mid-December.
The 10,000-square-foot structure will be joined to the existing Empire Communities Ltd. sales office, which is to be turned over to the township when the 475-home subdivision is built out.
The Ventin Group Architects’ final design came after a long process of consultation with residents and the Breslau Recreation Association.
While the final price tag, the lowest of 12 bids, was some $460,000 higher than budgeted for, the financing was deemed workable. Changes to the development charges formula, plus community fundraising in excess of the original $330,000 target will reduce the gap to $106,000. Community fundraising efforts continue.
The new building, a gymnasium/community centre, will be built to complement the existing sales pavilion erected by Empire Communities. That structure is 3,600 sq. ft.; with the basement included, it provides about 7,000 sq. ft.
Under a deal made with the township in 2006, the company located the facility at Breslau Memorial Park with the intention of selling it to the municipality for $2 when the subdivision is built out.
