With bids for a new Dr. Seymour Conservatory greenhouse considerably over the city’s allocated budget, city council has sent the project back to the drawing board.
Between 2016 and 2021, the city approved $1.25 million to replace the aging greenhouse at Couchiching Beach Park, which is used to support the city’s horticultural program that boasts more than 100 flower beds, 55 shrub beds, and 140 hanging baskets.
However, when the project tender closed in 2022, bids came in between $4.3 million and $8.2 million for the project.
“Based on a capital budget shortage of over $3 million, staff is recommending the project be cancelled, and that a new project be established to re-scope the requirements of the greenhouse … with the intent of bringing down the cost of the construction project,” said John McMullen, the city's manager of park planning and development, at Monday’s council meeting.
Council agreed to cancel the current project and approved $100,000 to fund a redesign of the greenhouse, with $1.12 million returning to the city’s general asset management reserve fund.
Coun. David Campbell wondered how the cost for the project came in so much higher than the city’s budget.
“If I hired someone to … design a house that I wanted to have built, and I said that my budget was $1.25 million, which would include tearing down my existing house, and they came back with a design that the minimum tender was over $4 million … was there a miscommunication here? I don't understand what happened,” he said.
McMullen said numerous factors contributed to the inflated price tag for the greenhouse.
Council approved an initial $500,000 for the project following a 2015 grant opportunity for the same amount.
“An architect was retained, a committee was struck … and they designed a beautiful and iconic structure that was based on the former fishing weirs, to be open to the public, and (it) had a two-storey section with a greenhouse attached,” McMullen said. “The city was not successful at obtaining that grant.”
In 2021, an additional $750,000 was approved to carry out the project.
“Fast forward to the tender that went out in 2022: the updates to the building codes required that the construction documentation be updated, and impacts of the COVID pandemic on construction, these are the bids that we received,” McMullen said.
An accompanying staff report noted the building’s custom design, its servicing requirements, and time lapsed since the original design as contributing factors to the inflated price, as well.
Coun. Jay Fallis asked whether it would be feasible to renovate the nearly 40-year-old greenhouse, but McMullen explained “it’s in a significant state of decline.”
“The structure itself is leaking, the mechanical equipment is failing ...” McMullen said. “It is kept safe through our own internal safety reviews that we do on a monthly basis, but the building is significantly dated. The foundation is cracked, the venting system of the greenhouse itself is not functional.
“Renovation of the existing building would be difficult.”
Coun. Ralph Cipolla questioned how long the current building will likely last.
“It’s considered usable, (but) it's been on the list that it's required to be replaced since before 2015,” McMullen said. “I might need to report back to you with a little bit more detail on if consideration of closing the building is imminent, but I would suggest that (it’s) certainly in a five-year window.”
Coun. Janet-Lynne Durnford agreed with staff’s recommendation to re-scope the project, hoping for a greenhouse that is as “robust as possible” under the appropriate budget.
“I think it's unfortunate that we are losing that landmark portion of the building, and the public access and the potential for educational programs there,” she said. “However, I think it's also important that we acknowledge the economic reality that we're in post-COVID.”
The decision made at Monday's meeting is subject to ratification at the next meeting of council February 13.
