Perth’s controversial new Environmental Services Shop is moving another step closer to construction, with a $5.356-million price tag now on the table and the town looking to secure grants as well as financing.
Councillors considered a package of reports at the Aug. 11 committee of the whole meeting dealing with construction, financing, the tender award and a federal grant application for the new facility at 15 Sunset Blvd.
The building will replace Perth’s 60-year-old Environmental Services Shop, which staff say has outlived its usefulness and no longer meets current operational, storage, administrative or health and safety needs.
But the location has drawn opposition from residents concerned about building a new operations facility so close to the Tay River and the town’s water intake.
Mayor Judy Brown said the replacement building will have considerably more environmental protection than the shop that has occupied the property for decades.
“The old shop had been there for 60 years, and this new shop has far more stringent environmental measures built in and it’s far safer than the old shop was,” said Brown.
The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority must also sign off on the project and has provided the town with recommendations for additional environmental safeguards.
“The RVCA gave us a report back in terms of what it is that we need to do. So our civil engineer has made those changes and we’re very confident that based on what they asked for and how we made those changes, that we will be granted the permit for it,” said Cathy McNally, director of community services.
The new 15,475-square-foot facility will include five drive-through vehicle bays, including a wash bay, as well as a separate mechanical service bay. It will also house offices, a training room, kitchen, washrooms and other staff areas. Only a limited amount of the current brush cover will have to be removed to accommodate construction.
Once the new building is occupied, two bays of the existing garage will be demolished and the remainder converted to weatherproof cold storage. The water treatment plant, Public Works and Environmental Services operations are expected to continue throughout construction.
Deputy Mayor Ed McPherson said replacing the aging facility is not a luxury but a necessity.
“We’ve worn out the building that we have there. And it’s a health and safety issue. It’s a long term growth issue. It’s providing staff with clean working conditions and we have to protect our equipment,” said McPherson.
The new shop will also include energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems, LED lighting, provisions for future solar panels and electric vehicle charging, improved stormwater management and emergency backup power.
The overall project cost is estimated at approximately $5.356 million. Staff are recommending that M. Sullivan & Son Ltd. receive the $4.297-million construction contract, plus HST. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2026 and continue into 2027.
“And you can see just from the submissions that this was the lowest bid that we went with, and they were pre-qualified as a vendor. So we’re confident in their abilities and we were happy to see that their bid was in alignment with the class C estimate we had,” said McNally.
Beyond construction, the town has budgeted $416,600 for architectural and engineering work, permits, furniture, computers and communications, security, moving and other equipment, with another $429,000 is being held as a contingency.
Rather than hire an outside project manager, the town plans to assign an existing employee to oversee the project full-time. A temporary replacement would cover that employee’s regular duties for about 18 months, with $120,000 included for salary, benefits, recruitment and related costs.
“This project is so important, and there’s so much detail, that we’re dedicating a staff member full time to oversee the process,” said Brown.
How much Perth ultimately has to borrow remains an open question.
The town has applied for up to $1.92 million from the federal Build Communities Strong Fund, representing as much as 40 per cent of about $4.8 million in eligible costs.
The balance would be financed through long-term borrowing from the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation, with any federal grant or other outside funding reducing the amount Perth has to borrow.
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