Grey County to Build Addition

Owen Sound Ontario - June 7, 2016 – On June 7, 2016, Grey County Council selected a contractor to build an addition and renovate areas of the Grey County Administration Building in Owen Sound. Devlan Construction Ltd. submitted the lowest bid of $10,643,000, well within the project budget. The build will be self-financed by borrowing from the county’s reserves.

One of the driving forces behind the project is the need for a new Provincial Offences Court. The court has been below standards for years and has many issues related to accessibility, safety and the age of the building. The court will move into the main administration building under the new design. It will be safer and much more comfortable for the public, Justices and other stakeholders.

In addition to the court, provincial requirements for service delivery have increased Grey County’s need for space. Staff, council and consultants have thoroughly explored several options to meet this demand. Council supported the addition and renovation as the best solution for the County’s current and future needs.

“It’s exciting to officially say Grey County is building a more accessible and efficient head office,” said Grey County Warden Alan Barfoot. “Grey County serves the public. We need spaces that are inclusive for everyone who uses our services or visits us.”

Under the Municipal Act 2001, large construction projects need to be publicly tendered and awarded to the lowest qualifying bidder.

“We’re very happy with how the public tendering process worked out,” said Warden Barfoot. “We felt confident with our cost estimates going in, but you can never be totally sure what the bids will look like.  Fortunately we saw a number of competitive bids.” 

Devlan Construction Ltd. will be informed of Council’s decision and will then provide a project timeline.  Construction is expected to begin this summer.

“We’ll be working closely with the contractor over the next few weeks to figure out the best way to proceed with construction while minimizing the impact on services,” said Anne Marie Shaw, Grey County’s Director of Housing. “Grey County provides a long list of essential services and it’s critical that we keep everything running smoothly.”

For more information:

Alan Barfoot

Grey County Warden

Alan.Barfoot [at] grey.ca (Alan[dot]Barfoot[at]grey[dot]ca)

519‑376‑2205

Anne Marie Shaw

Director of Housing

AnneMarie.Shaw [at] grey.ca (AnneMarie[dot]Shaw[at]grey[dot]ca)

519‑376‑5744 ext. 1305.

Project Background

• The POA building was constructed in 1967 for the former Grey County Museum.
• In 2004 the building started housing POA.
• By 2010, POA had accessibility, safety, space and age-related issues. It does not meet provincial standards for courts.
• In 2010, County Council approved $1,025,000 to fix the issues with POA.
• By 2011 it was clear any renovation options would only address POA’s needs for five years. The project was suspended.
• The Spaces Needs Review Task Force was formed in 2011 to review solutions for the POA and aging and inefficient Administration Building.
• After much careful review, the Task Force recommended an addition and renovation to the Administration Building as the most cost-effective and operationally efficient option.
• The Ventin Group was contracted to produce concept designs and a cost estimate.
• In September 2014, County Council supported in principle the concept for the addition and renovation.  That Council chose to defer a final decision to the current Grey County Council because the 2014 municipal election was only days away.
• On December 9, 2014, the incoming Grey County Council received an overview of the project, the consultant’s report and recommendations.
• On April 7, 2015, Grey County Council passed a motion directing the Ventin Group to proceed with construction drawings. Drawings were funded from reserves.
• On September 1, 2015 Grey County Council directed Ventin Group to move forward with construction drawings for the addition at the front of the building.
• In February 2016 the Construction Drawings were approved by Council.

Grey County began prequalifying contractors in March and a public tender process closed on May 13.