Construction delays continue for the beleaguered library and cultural centre, nearly three years after its initial completion date.
In June the municipality and contractor agreed on Oct. 2 as a new competition date, replacing Sept. 1, but that date, like many others before it, has come and gone and the building is still under construction, with three large projects currently underway and a number of smaller projects still to come.
In a report to council Oct. 6, Mark Fercho, chief administrative officer, said the building is nearly complete, however there are three projects that still need to be done before the building's commissioning and startup can begin and municipal staff can start training on the building's mechanical systems.
The projects include reinstalling the glass vestibule at the entrance of the building, inspecting, approving and installing new stair treads and railings along staircases and installing wood flooring in the entranceway of the heritage building—the former home of the library and the heart of the entire expansion project.
Fercho said he expects those projects to be completed within the first three weeks of October, however, he noted that the project could be further delayed if the stair treads don't pass inspection.
The treads, which consist of a metal bottom and concrete top, will be inspected when they arrive on the construction site. If they don't pass, they will have to be sent back to the manufacturer and new ones will have to be made.
Assuming all goes as planned and the projects are completed by the third week of October, Fercho said it will take another month and a half to two months for the building's final cleaning, commissioning and startup to take place.
When the building's air testing is completed as part of the startup procedures, tenants of the library and cultural centre will be allowed to start moving into the building.
According to Fercho, that would mean a move in date in November or December, with an opening date early in the new year.
As well as the aforementioned projects, there are a few others that also need to be completed that do not affect the contractor's ability to begin the building's commissioning and startup. Those include paving of the parking lot and frontage road, roof flashing, and some last minute finishings, including paint, electrical and plumbing fixtures and accessories, as well as door and window hardware.
The library and cultural centre expansion and renovation project began in November 2011 and has seen numerous construction errors and unforeseen issues since then, with the roof, walls, floors, stairs, windows and mechanical system all being improperly installed and subsequently removed over the course of the past four years.
When the building is complete, it will house the Jasper Artists Guild, Jasper Habitat for the Arts, l’Association Canadienne Francaise de l’Alberta (ACFA) and, of course, the library. There will also be an office for the mayor, as well as a new meeting room where council meetings will be held.
Following Fercho’s report, Coun. Brian Nesbitt said he’s encouraged that there’s an end in sight.
Nicole Veerman
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