Photo by Whitehorse Star
Council OKs $540,960 in building costs
City council has approved an additional $540,960 for the construction of the city’s new Operations Building off Range Road.
City council has approved an additional $540,960 for the construction of the city’s new Operations Building off Range Road.
All told now, the construction cost has risen to $43.6 million – or $4.3 million above Ketza Construction’s original bid of $39.3 million.
Additional costs – approved Monday – are due in part to more than 200 change orders and an increase in work that was not included in the original contract, according to information provided to city council.
Ketza’s most recent claim of $540,960 by is to cover an additional 68 days of work as a result of the changes in design and delays by the design team in responding to design issues.
Discussions at city council on June 17 included questions about whether the cost overruns should fall back to RDHA, the design consultant.
Construction of the Operations Building began in 2017. Completion is now scheduled for September.
Ketza’s original bid of $39.3 million was under the consultant’s estimate of $43 million for construction.
The total budget for the new building is estimated at $52.4 million, still within the original budget approved for the project, according to the information before council.
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Comments (13)
Up 0 Down 0
Max Mack on Jul 3, 2019 at 7:21 am
Once the add-ons, cost overruns, "side projects", and related costs (e.g. new service road, etc) are tallied up, this project will likely cost the taxpayer between $75-100 million.
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Over their heads on Jul 2, 2019 at 9:13 pm
With a budget of $52.4 million you have to know this is still not over. They won’t stop spending till they ring the bell on this one. This falls solely on City Management. A few on council pretend that all is well and it’s all going as planned. When will someone realize that they are so far over their heads overseeing a structure this large. Nobody in the City that I know of has ever managed a project this large. Hopefully Ketza has sympathy for the city and stays under the 52 million.
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Read facts before commenting on Jul 2, 2019 at 3:13 pm
Yes, there are huge doors - because the building will be used to repair equipment that requires those doors. C'mon folks, use some common sense. An audit was done on the Cassiar building, by an independent consultant, long before this new building was designed, It was posted on the City website and maybe it's still there. Read it before assuming that the old building could in any way be renovated to accommodate today's equipment. Talk to some of the mechanics who worked in that black hole. Ask about the mechanics who decided to go elsewhere where they could have proper working conditions. Why do we assume that city employees should work on modern equipment in 1960's mechanical shops? Common sense suggests that the city should try to attract the best and brightest, and that requires acceptable working conditions. It's so tiresome reading comments from people who just won't learn the facts
Up 0 Down 0
Read facts before commenting on Jul 2, 2019 at 3:13 pm
Yes, there are huge doors - because the building will be used to repair equipment that requires those doors. C'mon folks, use some common sense. An audit was done on the Cassiar building, by an independent consultant, long before this new building was designed, It was posted on the City website and maybe it's still there. Read it before assuming that the old building could in any way be renovated to accommodate today's equipment. Talk to some of the mechanics who worked in that black hole. Ask about the mechanics who decided to go elsewhere where they could have proper working conditions. Why do we assume that city employees should work on modern equipment in 1960's mechanical shops? Common sense suggests that the city should try to attract the best and brightest, and that requires acceptable working conditions. It's so tiresome reading comments from people who just won't learn the facts.
Up 2 Down 2
Maybe vote different on Jul 2, 2019 at 12:16 pm
I voted for Mandeep!
Up 12 Down 0
My Opinion on Jun 30, 2019 at 12:42 pm
This picture is just a small view. Go look at the building in its entirety. The wing with all of the huge shop doors is never shown. They will spend a Kings ransom trying to heat this place. The justification for building it was that the old building 1/10th its size was not very cost effective to heat. I want to see the numbers when this is done.
Trouble is when you finally see the numbers it is way to late. Someone should be responsible for the lies we have been fed.
Up 25 Down 0
Michael Storm on Jun 27, 2019 at 1:31 pm
This seems too common and there will likely be a couple of million more before it's complete.
Up 27 Down 0
Why? on Jun 27, 2019 at 12:55 pm
Why aren't they suing the architect for proposing a building that doesn't suit the north and our climate? We trust them to be the expert and if they don't fulfill their obligations, you go after them for damages (in this case, damages are extra fees imposed to make the building viable for the Yukon). As a taxpayer, I'm against US having to cover these costs.
Up 20 Down 1
Oyama on Jun 27, 2019 at 11:56 am
The building looks like a jail. Probably is, for some.
Up 25 Down 1
Get Ready on Jun 27, 2019 at 5:21 am
Get ready for about nine more of these folks. The first will be a paved parking lot with plug-ins I'm guessing. This was a poor choice by the City to move here.
Up 27 Down 1
Donna Gratton on Jun 27, 2019 at 3:08 am
Really, NO money for the waterfront train, yet.
Spending this kind of money and steadily increasing $ amounts.
Come on Whitehorse city council get yr poop in a group.
City tax payers are on the receiving end of this crap. Really !
Competent or incompetent?
Up 24 Down 0
Gringo on Jun 26, 2019 at 9:18 pm
It’s called “gravy” baby....Yukon gravy!
Up 35 Down 5
Wilf Carter on Jun 26, 2019 at 3:39 pm
Here we go over budget as most people in the know said it would take place