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The Bruce County Paramedic Services Committee has approved the tender and budget for a new station build in Saugeen Shores.
During a meeting on April 7, Director of Paramedic Services Steve Schaus brought forward a report. It recommended the project budget be set at over $9.4 million, and to award the tender for the project to Allen Hastings Ltd. at over $7.9 million.
The report says the new station was a major initiative in the Paramedic Services Business Plan for 2020. As a result of the complexity of the project, however, it has been phased across 2021 and 2022 as well. The project seeks to provide a hub not only for paramedic services and other county staff.
The build will feature meeting room spaces, a gymnasium, and housing stations for staff in the event of weather situations and power outages. Additional parking spaces have also been added to the site to address any parking issues at the lakeshore Hub.
The report says the build will have additional offices for future growth and a paramedic simulator lab for training. It will operate as the headquarters for paramedic services in the county, and the report says moving paramedic administration staff to this location will allow for reallocation of space to other departments.
In the Dec. 2, 2021 committee report, it was identified the planning and design of the build occurred between the second and fourth quarter of 2021, with the tendering geared for the first quarter of 2022, construction between the second and fourth quarter of 2022, and occupation by the end of the year.
This was later revised and as of March 17, the construction would occur between the second quarter of 2022, and the third quarter of 2023, with plans to occupy the building later in the second quarter of 2023.
It was also recommended the treasurer authorize to apply for a loan through the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation for an amount of up to $10 million over 30 years.
The report says based on a conservative four per cent interest rate of the $10 million borrowed, annual payments will cost over $578,000. It estimates the cost of borrowing would be $7.3 million, but notes, “The expected interest rate, amount borrowed and subsequent loan payments are currently anticipated to be lower.”