ARTHUR – An upper hall refresh at the Arthur and Area Community Centre could cost the township more than double its original budget.
To be discussed at a Wellington North council meeting next Monday, a new staff report is seeking council approval to allocate an additional $332,000 in the 2025 capital budget to fund the gap between the approved budget and the tender cost for upper hall renovations in the Arthur and Area Community Centre.
According to the report, the tender bids received were higher than the $389,000 council allocated to the project as part of the 2024 Capital Program despite the project being scaled back to be "more in line with the approved budget" after an earlier construction cost estimate identified a "potential budget overrun."
The report recommends the project tender be given to Mega Group Construction for $609,000.
"It is important to invest in and maintain our community assets to ensure their longevity and continued functionality...by prioritizing investment in the Arthur Area Community Centre, we ensure its long-term utility, support community activities, and reduce the risk of expensive emergency repairs," said staff in the report.
Work is scheduled to be completed by Feb. 1, 2025.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program
