Pickering project contracts approved at a special council meeting will move forward a replacement fire station and a long-planned road and drainage reconstruction in Whitevale.
New Station 5 planned at Bayly and Sandy Beach
The city plans to build the replacement firehall at the southeast corner of Bayly Street and Sandy Beach Road. It will replace Station 5 at 1616 Bayly Street, a building constructed in 1969 that staff say has reached the end of its service life.
Construction is expected to cost $13.6 million. Funding includes $500,000 in Pickering Casino Resort host revenue, $3.9 million from other reserves and more than $9.2 million from Ontario Power Generation under a municipal infrastructure and servicing agreement.
The overall building project is expected to approach $20.5 million when design, a new fire pumper and other costs are included. Land expropriation approved last year is expected to cost nearly $3.7 million before unresolved legal costs, interest and any final compensation decision.
Whitevale project addresses roads and flood risk
Council also approved construction, administration and inspection contracts for the Whitevale master drainage plan implementation project. The net project cost is $5.4 million.
Work includes reconstructing Whitevale Road from the bridge over Duffins Creek to Golf Club Road and rebuilding North Road from Whitevale Road to north of Churchwin Street. Plans also call for sidewalk replacement, street-light improvements, traffic calming and a larger storm sewer designed to reduce flood risk.
City staff attributed costs above earlier funding approvals to utility relocations, fuel and tariff costs, and continuing construction inflation. Casino revenue will cover some additional costs. Mayor Kevin Ashe said using that revenue avoided property-tax increases tied to the projects.
