18th Avenue Admin Project Hits A Snag
Saturday, October 27, 2012 @ 4:32 AM
Prince George, B.C. – One week to go before the scheduled beginning of consolidation of the City of Prince George 4th Avenue public works operations with the 18th Avenue yard but suddenly that planned target date is out the window.
Construction of the new $2 million administration building at 18th Avenue began at the end of May with completion of the 10-thousand-square-foot building set for the beginning of November, at which time all personnel at 4th Avenue, both administrative and unionized employees, would be moving to 18th Avenue.
Leland Hanson, the City’s supervisor of the construction project, which was contracted to RJ Cooper Construction, was still confident on September 15th that the completion target for the one-storey building would be met and that the early November move would take place as planned.
Fast forward to this week. 250 NEWS contacted the Superintendent of Operations with the city, Bill Gaal, to ask whether the move is still geared toward the beginning of November. Gaal says “You’d have to talk to Leland Hanson. Until the building is finished we won’t be moving anywhere. Sorry I can’t be more help but once it gets closer to completion then I’ll be the appropriate person” (to speak with). Gall told us he had no idea how close the contractor was to completion.
Hanson says the project now has “a new end date, end of the year.” Basically a two-month extension to a project that was “on time and on budget.” We asked Hanson what has changed things. “I think he (the contractor) is just busy. I think the guy is swamped. His trades are flat out from what I can tell.” He says it’s a busy time of year for contractors and trades people.
Hanson says many of the trades are half done on the building. Drywall is going up, roofing is about half complete, duct work is proceeding, electrical and furnaces are in, as are the windows. He says there is still plenty of work to be done.
Hanson says the delay will have no effect on the price tag for the building. “No extra cost, there’s no issues that way. It’s a lump sum tender and if there’s any difficulties it’ll be borne by the general contractor.” Hanson also does not believe weather conditions will have an adverse effect on the contractor. “No I’d have to say no. For the most part he is enclosed so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
With a two-month delay in completion, Hanson says moving 4th Avenue operations to the 18th Avenue yard won’t start until January.
Comments
Let the Chinese finish it.
No hurry. They didnt need to move in the first place. Just another chapter to the never ending saga of **City Waste**
At least give the city credit for trying to “consolidate” a lot of their mismanagement.
Anyone driving by that construction project in Sept. Would know just by looking that it was far more than a month and a half away from completion..
What will,happen to the building on 4th Avenue? If I recall correctly it was a fairly substancial building and not like the tin sheds that maintenance worked out of.
Cheers
Perhaps they should have built it two stories with low income housing on the second level. Maybe they can turn the 4th Ave building into low rent housing. It is needed in this town.
What will happen to the building on 4th.??
If the City follows its usual bent, the building will be demolished. Just like the house on River Road, The Tourist Bureau building on 16 and 97, PG Hotel, Cameron St. Bridge, Outrigger Restaurant, CKPG Buildings on 6th, and of course sometime in the near future the Playhouse Theatre.
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