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Another delay in administration centre construction

April 6, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The new Town administration building may not be completed until mid-June.

That’s around nine months past the original completion date estimate of August 2022.

This is the third time that the project has been delayed.

A status report delivered to New Tecumseth council said the delay, and previous delays, resulted from unexpected site conditions, supply chain disruptions, and labour disruptions.

The report said some unexpected repairs need to be done to concrete blocks and brick veneer, as well as concrete in-fills that must be completed on unstable existing flooring.

The report said, “Mechanical and electrical rough-in on the second floor is approximately 90 per cent complete, wall partition framing is approximately 98 per cent complete, interior door and glass wall framing is approximately 75 per cent complete, and drywall is approximately 55 per cent complete.”

On the ground floor, ‘mechanical and electrical rough-in is approximately 70 per cent complete, wall partition framing is about 99 per cent complete, interior door and glass wall framing are about 40 per cent complete, and drywall is approximately 60 per cent complete.

There are also electrical changes required to accommodate the council chamber’s audio-visual system.

There have also been complications due to a disagreement between the Town of New Tecusmseth and Matheson Constructors.

As noted in a prior report, the town is in receipt of a formal delay claim from the contractor. The contractor has notified the town of an amendment to the delay claim. This is being reviewed by town staff.

The town disputes the value and days claimed in the delay claim.

Some additional potential risks to the schedule include supply chain issues and labour shortages. The project team continually reviews these to find the best way to mitigate any overall schedule delay.

The town has identified some deficiencies during routine site reviews. This includes the sidewalk along Tupper Street and curb cuts at the driveway, which have been constructed too narrow, a gap between the existing second-floor slab and the new slab, and wooden beams and roof decking within the atrium that have discolouration from exposure to the elements.

To date, the project has a total of 58 change orders approved.

The total value of the change orders is $886,780, which is 87 per cent of the total approved contingency amount, with most of the cost being attributed to the previously reported unplanned works associated with soil issues, floor topping replacement, and sanitary sewer works.

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