A delay in getting structural steel is holding up progress on the nearly $5 million-Perth County Courthouse renovation project.
The project will link 5 Huron St., the former Service Ontario office, to the courthouse. It has been called a necessary connection for the county’s administration campus that will make it a more conducive and efficient place to work for staff - and easier for the public to access services.
In an update report included in the March 7 Perth County council agenda, the project is now forecast to be completed in late October of this year, an approximate three-month delay, because of delays in manufacturing and delivery of the steel.
The delay will impact staff and services, the report notes. Staff are working to mitigate those impacts.
The contractor has since focused on the interior renovations of 5 Huron. The majority of the wall studs, insulation, underground plumbing, electrical runs, and HVAC equipment have been installed.
Concrete and block work on the elevator shaft, machine room, and stairs has been completed. Footings and foundation for the connecting link have been poured and backfilled.
Staff did note a few worrying trends, among them, $200,000 in contingency allowance, a pool to cover increases in costs that the contractor does not know in advance.
To date, the majority of the 38 contemplated change orders, which all go through a review process before being approved, have been approved, using 70 per cent of the allowance.
Once the dust settles, staff are expecting to be slightly over the $200,000 figure.
Additionally, there is still excavation work to be done for the walkway, retaining wall, and parking lot reconstruction. Depending on soil conditions and other factors, the project could see additional change orders and costs.
Other than the delay in steel, staff are pleased with the progress and the workmanship of the contractor.
The connecting link project was originally expected to cost $2.1 million. Last year, the lowest bidder presented a $4.8 million figure, which county council approved.
Inflation and the rising costs of goods continue to escalate construction costs, Warden Rhonda Ehgoetz previously told StratfordToday.
