THUNDER BAY — If you've been considering a visit to the Centennial Botanical Conservatory this winter, you may want to plan a trip this week.
After Friday, Feb. 9, the popular attraction on Dease Street will close for a protracted period to facilitate the next stage of a multi-million-dollar renewal.
City officials are planning for the likely awarding of a contract, but the bids won't be open until later this month.
If the work does go ahead, "at the end of the project, the entire facility is going to look basically new," said Cory Halvorsen, manager of parks and open spaces for the City of Thunder Bay, on Monday.
In an earlier stage, three greenhouse structures were replaced, and an annex to the conservatory was expanded.
This phase of the multi-year transformation of the site will see the public area of the conservatory rebuilt.
"It's the conservatory facility that everyone is familiar with visiting. So, the main tropical display area where you have the waterfall and the walking bridge that goes over it as well as the east and west wing - that's the main part that people will notice," Halvorsen said.
The mechanical, electrical and HVAC systems will be upgraded as well, and renovations are planned for the original back-of-house building.
As of last year, the cost of the entire project was an estimated $7.5 to $8.0 million, up considerably from a 2020 estimate of less than $5 million.
"This project has been transpiring through a unique time where we've seen some escalated costs due to supply chain issues and other construction-related impacts," Halvorsen said.
"But I think we've been putting estimated budgets forward that try to account for those as best as possible. Hopefully everything is still in line as we receive the bids."
The city has secured about $3.7 million in federal and provincial funding to help pay for the project, but final costs won't be known until bids for this stage are opened later this month.
"I don't want to preemptively state that the project is going ahead," Halvorsen said.
"It's planned to. It's out to tender right now . . . We can't wait for the tender award to do the closure because at this time of year, in addition to the standard maintenance that we do in the tropical display, we will be starting our production cycle for all the plants and flowers in the parks as well. Those two activities overlap at this time of year."
He said the conservatory could be closed for the balance of the year.
"It's because the work is so extensive, and a portion of it, the facility renewal and the glazing (replacement of glass panels), has to happen in the summer months when the temperatures are best suited for that. We're likely looking at a closure for the remainder of the year. I don't want to commit to an anticipated reopening date at this point."
The conservatory was expected to be closed most of last year for the renovations, but that plan was abandoned due to concerns that all the required components might not be available in time.
This week, it's open from 10 am to 4 pm Monday and Tuesday, and 10 am to 8 pm Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
"If you're thinking of stopping by, this is the week to do it," Halvorsen advised.
