Vancouver is asking the federal government for an extension to finish $150 million worth of civic infrastructure projects, including the two most expensive projects on its list, a new visitor’s centre for Van Dusen Gardens and a police property and forensic storage facility.
Last month the federal government announced it would be willing to extend the deadline for completion of its Infrastructure Stimulus Fund grants after municipalities across the country complained the March 31 deadline was too short. Many of those were having trouble because of winter weather and scope creep, or expansion of their original projects. But the extension requires a formal resolution of council that also limits Ottawa’s risk if the municipalities don’t complete the projects by the end of October.
In Vancouver’s case, the federal government provided $51 million for 29 projects. The city is contributing $87.4 million. The provincial government refused to participate in most of the projects but is contributing $12 million for two, $10 million for the police facility and $2 million for Van Dusen.
Coun. Raymond Louie said most of the 29 projects are well on their way to being completed by the end of the original deadline. A number, including road improvements, are coming in below budget.
But the Van Dusen project and the police facility are both are so massive and have increased in scope that they could benefit from the extension, he said.
The city has also been told by Ottawa it can apply the savings from other infrastructure projects to the two delayed ones.
The forensic unit is part of a $55.8 million plan to build a tactical training centre and evidence storage facility for the police department. Van Dusen is replacing its visitor centre with a new $19.4 million "living building" that will generate its own electricity and recycle its own water. Harry Jongerden, the garden director, said the building’s orientation toward Oak Street will also visually open the park up to the street.
"There is nothing formulaic about this building," he said Monday. "This is filled with leading edge technology and the fact it is facing Oak will mean a lot more people will know what we are. Right now you can drive down the street and not know there is this beautiful garden in here."
Louie said the federal government had offered up to $70 million in joint financing for Vancouver projects. But with the province backing away from a traditional three-way cost-sharing on most projects, the city had to put in a limit. It only agreed to fund the Van Dusen and police projects after much persuasion, he said.
"It’s unfortunate the province did not come to the table earlier and also give us additional funding. We could have done a great more projects and likely would have been able to leverage the entire $70 million (from Ottawa)," he said. "Our time was running out on us and we were scrambling at the end."
Of the 29 projects, 10 involved park facilities, 13 were for engineering, sewer, water and road upgrades, and six were for civic facilities including repairs to City Hall and the police project.
jefflee@vancouversun.com
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Blog: www.vancouversun.com/jefflee
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