City administration squashed talk of ballooning costs for the CUPlex Monday, providing numbers showing the project was still well within budget.
Parks and Recreation Director Keith Anderson provided a financial snapshot of the project Monday. As of March 20, the contract amount was $54,620,346.00 and the five per cent contingency brought the budget for the entire project up to $56,841,299.55.
Importantly, the number for the change orders on the project to date came to $1,448,795, which was well within the five per cent contingency.
The value of the work to date for the whole project was $43,448,622. So far $15,838,581 has been valued for work on the Co-op Aquatic Centre, $12,252,552 on the Dekker Centre, $5,877,740 on the Northland Curling Centre and $5,362,313 on the BTC Field House.
Not provided at Monday's meeting were numbers for the borrowing charge during the building of the facility. That will be provided in the next report, assured City Manager Jim Toye.
The updated financial numbers were in response to rumours that had been circulating in the community about the state of the finances for the CUPlex project. One wild rumor was that the cost of the project had ballooned up to $100 million.
Anderson acknowledged that rumor, and others circulating about the state of the project, at the previous week's meeting of the Parks and Recreation Committee March 19.
At that meeting he told committee members the budget for the CUPlex was still on track and within the five per cent contingency. Anderson described the $100 million rumor as "totally false."
Councillor Ron Crush was told about the rumoured ballooning CUPlex numbers just after getting back to North Battleford from his recent winter- getaway vacation.
"One of the first things I was confronted with was 'this project is $100 million dollars,'" said Crush.
"And I said 'you'd better check into that." And I'm thinking 'wow, where did you get those figures?'"
Crush acknowledged the "coffee shop talk" circulating and said "those kind of allegations get energy without founded information."
"I'm concerned that that becomes the focus of what to me is a community celebration," said Crush, who voiced his displeasure that "people choose to find and make up negatives with respect to a lot of hard work on the backs of administration, on the backs of our ratepayers."
Crush said he was pleased to see the official figures provided by administration.
"I hope those who were curious are paying attention," he added.
In other news about the project, Anderson noted the CUPlex continues to move forward with construction. There had been progress made in lifting liens placed on the theatre and aquatic centre by one of the suppliers after the bankruptcy of one of the subcontractors during the construction of the project.
The lien on the theatre was lifted last week, reported Anderson. The lien was still on the aquatic centre as of this week, but work was proceeding there towards lifting it, possibly as early as this week, said Anderson. A lien bond was to be posted to remove the lien, he said.
As for construction on the four components Anderson reported that contractor APM was "beginning to demobilize from the site." That will explain why some of the trailers disappeared in the last week or so. They have moved their offices inside the building, Anderson said, as construction continues. The aquatic centre was described as a "great big tiling project" right now, with the water slides being installed.
At the curling rink, the observation area glass is to be put in on top and bottom and the partitions for the bathrooms and meeting rooms are to be put in as well. At the field house, the third floor track is in.
"Things are moving ahead," Anderson said. "Things are looking good."
In his comments about the progress at the site, Mayor Ian Hamilton said he observed the lights on in the aquatic centre one night and called it an "awesome sight."
Earlier in the meeting Anderson also addressed questions about the vandalism that hit the CUPlex site the previous week. A break in and vandalism spree March 18 caused an estimated $60,000 to $65,000 in damage mainly to the theatre, although the aquatic centre was also targeted.
Anderson said security and insurance are the responsibility of the contractor, and said security had been stepped up at the theatre. He added he would encourage more security in meeting with the other contractors later in the week. He also said the damage sustained, mainly at the theatre, was not likely to cause much delay in completion of the project, if any.
