Despite costs that could nearly triple to $30 million, plans for funding Allandale transit mobility hub and the downtown mini-hub aren’t going off the rails.
City staff say the $10.2-million budget for the two projects is significantly underfunded. A range of $25 million to $30 million is possible.
Construction costs have risen 40 per cent since 2018, when this project was initially identified, and there will be an additional five to 10 per cent increase annually until the project is complete.
Significant price escalations are due to the pandemic and other factors having an impact on project timelines.
“This is an item that this council actually inherited,” Coun. Jim Harris said Monday night. “So we see that there are a number of factors, most beyond our control, that have delayed the projects. Some of the items… we don’t have a sense of the time of the delays.”
The federal and provincial governments could be paying about 73 per cent of the total tab, however, with Barrie on the hook for the remainder.
The Allandale transit mobility hub, located at 20 Essa Rd., is to provide inter-regional service, seamless transit connections between Simcoe County, Muskoka and the Greater Toronto Area and be integrated with two-way GO train services, located at the Allandale Waterfront GO Station.
“This is going to be one of the very first projects that kicks off the redevelopment of Essa Road,” said Rick Pews, the city’s director of corporate facilities.
The mini-hub would include bus stops and sheltered waiting areas at 24 Maple Ave., the current Barrie Transit Terminal. The bus stops would maintain downtown Barrie Transit service and provide direct access routes to and from the core.
Councillors gave approval Monday night that the projects proceed, with that $10.2-million budget, and that $4.7 million be used for the pre-construction phase.
The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) funds the building of new urban transit networks and service extensions, capital costs to construct, expand and improve public transit. Project funding breaks down to 40 per cent from the feds, 33.3 per cent from the province and 26.7 per cent from the city.
Barrie was allocated $19.5 million from the province and $23.4 million from the feds, with a city contribution of $15.6 million, for a total of more than $58.5 million.
In the first intake of the ICIP funding, Barrie submitted five capital projects costing $41 million of the $58.5 million.
Included was the Allandale transit mobility hub and the downtown mini-hub, estimated at $10.2 million, with $7.5 million coming from the province and feds.
But significant delays in approval allowed for several years of price escalations, and the ICIP does not allow for adjustments to project costs.
“At this point, we have sufficient budget, but at some point in the future we might need to look for another $6 million or thereabouts,” said Coun. Clare Riepma. “Did I read that correctly or am I missing something?”
“Our ICIP application form identifies a $10.2-million project,” Pews said. “We do have additional funding that has been allocated towards the city is our understanding, but… we could basically change our application to something different and use more of that money that we have. However, it’s not approved yet, so there’s no guarantees.”
City staff have spoken to ICIP officials about additional funding, which could further lengthen the approval process, but the city could also address the increase by using the remaining funding previously assigned to Barrie from transit-related capital, some for bus replacement.
Monday night’s motion speaks of utilizing the remaining dollars previously assigned to Barrie for transit-related capital.
City council will consider final approval of this motion at its May 16 meeting.
