Jefferson Elora Community Centre Renovation & Re-Opening

Introduction

the Elora Community Centre is over 40 years old and is well beyond its expected life. The Township has an opportunity to use significant funding from the upper-levels of government to assist in making three out of the four major areas of the community centre substantially improved while addressing health and safety issues, accessibility issues, and aging infrastructure upgrades.

Project

On January 5, 2023 Council approved the Elora Community Centre as part of the 2023 Budget. The project has been awarded to Gateman-Milloy Inc. The renovation project for the Elora Community Centre (ECC) has taken several years to bring to its current state for Council approval and awarding of the tender for construction. COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the project with a lengthy delay in the award of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP): Culture and Recreation Stream – Rehabilitation and Renovation Intake from the upper levels of government, with impacts to the project schedule, to the project costs (due to labour and material cost increases), and on the Canadian dollar.

From April 2021 to March 2022 the project went through extensive work between RDHA Architects and staff to revise the project scope and complete various costs estimates to scale down the project, with three options to address budget challenges. In April 2022, Council endorsed Preferred Option 2. The scope of work was to include:

Replacement of the concrete ice pad, arena boards, protective glass system, and ice making refrigeration equipment. Retain and reuse protective netting.
Update the refrigeration/mechanical room and equipment for life cycle replacement while maintaining TSSA standards and best industry practices.
Modify the building to meet AODA standards (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act), including providing accessible dressing rooms, an accessible area for viewing the ice surface, accessible washrooms, entrances, and doors.
Renovate the lobby for improved customer service and traffic flow.

Staff tendered the project in November 2022, for planned construction in 2023. All four of the pre-qualified bidders submitted bids. Project construction will be from April to December 2023 with a target of re-opening the ECC in January 2024.

Background

In October 2019 Council approved an Application to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP): Culture and Recreation Stream – Rehabilitation and Renovation Intake funding to rehabilitate and renovate the Elora Community Centre (ECC). The proposed renovations included scope of work to improve accessibility, life cycle planning, energy efficiency, expand programming opportunities for seniors, youth, and families, and improve the facility as an emergency shelter for Elora at an estimated cost of between $4.5 - $5m.

The Township received approval for this funding through the Federal and Provincial Governments on March 30, 2021. The total project approved is $4,977,396.80 with the Federal share being $1,998,958.72, the Provincial share being $1,665,632.35, and the Township share being $1,332,805.73. At the time of submitting the ICIP application it was anticipated that the ICIP grants would be awarded in early 2020 in order that construction could begin in late 2020.

The COVID-19 Pandemic hit in March 2020 and therefore the grant approval from the upper levels of government was delayed, pushing back timing for construction and a significant increase to the estimated construction costs for the project.

In April, 2022 Council approved for staff to proceed with a scope of work that addressed: