Completion of the theatre component of the CUPlex seems as far off as ever after the latest update from City administration.
Parks and Recreation Director Keith Anderson's Feb. 21 memo to council confirmed substantial completion of the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts is now estimated to be May 25.
That's almost four weeks later than the previously announced completion date. April 30 completion was estimated just two weeks ago when Anderson reported to council Feb. 13.
The latest estimate for the theatre completion was determined after a Feb. 15 site meeting at the CUPlex site.
Reasons for the latest push back are not clear, as Anderson was not in attendance at the council meeting Monday.
It was another issue associated with Anderson's report that concerned Councillor Trent Houk. Liens have been applied to portions of both the theatre and the aquatic centre as a result of the financial bankruptcy of a subcontractor on the project.
What raised Houk's eyebrows was mention in Anderson's report of the progress payments held back because of the liens on the property. The gross value of the work done to date at the theatre is $12.1 million, but the last progress payment was held back by the City because of the lien, so the actual work committed to date is $11.8 million. The gross value for the aquatic centre work is $15 million but once again $500,000 of progress payment was held back, so the actual committed value of work was $14.5 million.
The liens didn't impact the actual building of the CUPlex, but still, Houk wanted to know what was going to happen with the liens.
"This lien is now on the title," Houk noted. "Is the general contractor responsible for that?"
City Manager Jim Toye went into a detailed explanation on the process and dialogue, where he assured Houk the City is doing all it can to get the liens removed and ensure creditors are ultimately paid.
He pledged to take up the matter with the City's legal counsel and report back at the next council meeting.
