Fountain outside Edmonton City Hall won’t be ready until October

The Edmonton City Hall fountain replacement project has hit a snag.

According to a statement from the city, “a summer opening is not looking good.”

City councillors were sent a memo with the updated delay information, which explained the membrane under the fountain tiles has been compromised.

“The wet weather that we’ve all experienced has had an impact on this project, as it has on many other projects in and around the city,” project manager Eugene Gyorfi said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The wet weather that we've all experienced has had an impact on this project, as it has on many other projects in and around the city," project manager Eugene Gyorfi said.

“More importantly, we’ve just recently discovered an issue – one of our technical issues – related to the waterproof membrane that’s being installed above our fountain slab and below the granite that will form the basin of our fountain.

“So our contractor is going to be replacing that membrane and moving on with construction sequencing of installing the balance of the granite over the rest of the summer.”

READ MORE: Makeover of fountain outside Edmonton City Hall to exceed initial $13M budget

Since all these steps were included in the original contract, the contractor will cover any additional costs and there will be no additional cost to the city, Gyorfi said.

He explained that as crews were working on the south end of the project, they found moisture bubbles between membrane layers, which are meant to protect the slab from getting wet. He said this is especially important since the area will serve as a fountain/wading pool in the summer and a skating rink in the winter.

“That waterproof membrane is integral to the performance of our fountain and our slab for the 25-year life,” Gyorfi said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "That waterproof membrane is integral to the performance of our fountain and our slab for the 25-year life," Gyorfi said.

“We don’t want to take any chances now at this early part of the project. We think the extra couple of weeks will give us a better product in the end.”

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READ MORE: Makeover of Edmonton City Hall wading pool takes shape as festivals relocate for another summer

In a post on Facebook Thursday afternoon, the city said because of all the rain, crews put up more tents to cover the job site and allow for granite paver installation, testing and waterproofing.

“We know our beloved Edmonton summers are too short (feels even shorter this year with all the rain), which is why we have been working hard to try and open City Hall Fountain before the end of the season,” the message said.

“Progress has been slowed down by the unusual amount of rain, but we’re still working away. Right now it’s looking like we’ll finish construction in October.”

The original construction schedule was estimated at 13 months.

The original budget to resurface the fountain pool and the deck surrounding it in the plaza of city hall was $13 million. The water depth will be reduced to ankle-high instead of what has been knee-deep since it opened. The changes were mandated by Alberta Health Services which had concerns about water flow.

On Thursday, Gyorfi said the $13.4 million budget is the construction cost. The total project budget (which remained the same Thursday) is $17.4 million, which includes two design phases, construction and overhead.

“The replacing of pre-cast pavers around city hall,” Gyorfi went on. “We’re hoping to tender that project towards the end of the year or early next year and have that work started and completed next year.”

READ MORE: Edmonton city hall wading pool going from 40 cm to 15 cm deep

Councillor Mike Nickel was frustrated by what he called “the same old story.”

“Another project, another delay, and we have to explain it to the taxpayers why there’s another delay,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Another project, another delay, and we have to explain it to the taxpayers why there's another delay," he said.

“We’ll add it to the list of projects that people are just frustrated with, saying: ‘Why can’t you get it done?’ Whether it’s legitimate or not.”

“That’s the frustrating part. This one could be a legitimate delay, right? But now we’ve piled on all these other projects and people just throw their arms up. So we’ve gone beyond the point of people’s patience. They just don’t believe us anymore.”

Watch below (Jan. 29, 2018): Edmontonians might love the wading pool at city hall, but because of provincial regulations, it can’t remain as it is. Quinn Ohler explains the options council can consider.

2:19 Changes must be made to Edmonton city hall pool

— with files from Scott Johnston