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Press Releases
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June 4, 2010
June 4, 2010
City receives extension for Westminster Pier Park grant
New Westminster, BC – The City of New Westminster has received an extension on the deadline for expenditure of its $16.6 million Building Canada Fund grant for construction of Westminster Pier Park located along the City’s waterfront. The extension gives the City until March 2012 to complete construction of the new park.
“We were elated to receive our Building Canada Fund grant from the federal and provincial governments but the tight timeline attached brought with it some challenges,” said Mayor Wayne Wright. “The new timeline gives us a little breathing room and allows us to be more efficient with park construction activities and costs, delivering a new waterfront park for New Westminster citizens by fall 2011.”
Unlike the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund grant program, with a concrete deadline for completion of March 31, 2011 for projects receiving funding, the Building Canada Fund allows for a measure of flexibility around project scheduling, thereby enabling the City to successfully apply for its extension. While a project team of senior city staff and consultants have been working on park construction plans since January, the original grant deadline of March 2011 meant that contractors would have limited flexibility to adjust the timeline of their work should unforeseen challenges arise.
“The timeline extension will avoid contractors tripping over each other in a rush to complete their work by the original deadline of March 2011,” said Paul Daminato, Chief Administrative Officer. “It also reduces the risk of additional costs due to contractors having to work overtime to finish their portion or having to complete work out of season, which would have been the case with landscaping activities.”
The City of New Westminster now anticipates opening the new Westminster Pier Park by fall 2011. The City purchased the derelict former brownfield site on the waterfront in March 2009 for $8 million. Shortly after, the City successfully applied for a Building Canada Fund infrastructure grant for construction of the new park, receiving $8.3 million from the provincial and federal governments, the second highest Building Canada Fund grant awarded to a British Columbia municipality. The total budget for the Westminster Pier Park construction project remains at $25 million.
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Contact:
Paul Daminato
Paul Daminato
Chief Administrative Officer
City of New Westminster
604-527-4551 or
