Two contracts that could see over $3 million plus taxes spent on Halfmoon Bay’s new community hall project got the nod from the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board on May 23.
Principle Architecture Inc. was awarded $315,000 (plus GST) to design the new centre. That budget includes a 16 per cent contingency.
“The project team intends to quickly begin work on design development and will continue to provide updates," stated a staff report considered by the board in making the award. Included in that process, according to asset manager Kyle Doyle, will be a minimum of two designs for community review during the contract’s “touchback process."
Doyle's report also noted that an extension of funding arrangements and a naming adjustment (to Halfmoon Bay Community Hall from Coopers Green Hall replacement) for the project’s Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant, valued at just over $2 million has been received. The initiative has a budget of $3.52 million, with the difference funded by SCRD taxpayers.
Project behind schedule presented in 2023
Principle, which held an earlier planning contract for the project, was before local elected officials on Oct. 19. 2023. Contrasting details shared on May 23 with information presented to committee last year shows the project is behind the schedule the firm laid out. Last year, Principle indicated that before this April, it anticipated being at the stage where a “coordinated set of development permit drawings, outline specifications and costing presentation” would have been delivered.
A step towards project permitting and cost determinations was made at the board meeting with the award of a $2.7 million (plus GST) construction management service contract to Summerhill Fine Homes Ltd.
Cost containment questioned
Expressing excitement and some trepidation to be at this point with the project, Halfmoon Bay area director Justine Gabias stated, “It has been a long and winding road for this hall. It is a big budget for not a huge building and I am wondering if there is a strategy in place for cost containment, so we don’t go over budget.”
Doyle responded that the project's design team and construction managers will work together, to ensure that the structure’s design “does not get too ambitious." He also explained that the contract will see Summerhill take on construction management for fees of up to $380,000. The remainder of the contract value will be managed by that firm for materials and to pay all subtrades necessary to complete the construction of the hall.
He stated updates on the public process for next steps will be available on the project's "Let's Talk" page.
