THUNDER BAY – City council on Monday will be asked to push back a final report on the proposed indoor turf facility to June 3, after it was discovered a deeper foundation dig would be necessary due to soil conditions at the site.
The high-level estimate for the drilled cast-in-place concrete pile foundation would add about $600,000 to the estimated $38,033,400 cost for the Soccer Northwest Ontario Turf Facility concept.
A memorandum, prepared by director of engineering and operations Kayla Dixon, said the added cost still keeps the project within the city’s approved financing strategy for up to $44.6 million, though it would be over the $38 million upset limit for the facility, approved by council last November.
The preliminary design study shows there are also contaminated soils within the building footprint that will need to be transported to the landfill that could add additional costs to the project.
"We have received reports on our geo-tech and our environmental studies and found that the new recommended foundation for the facility is actually a pile foundation and that does increase the cost of the original recommendation, which was a shallow foundation, by about $600,000," Dixon said on Thursday.
"As well there was some contaminated soil that was found within the footprint that will have to be landfilled which will also add additional costs to the project."
The facility would be located adjacent to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.
The request to delay the final report to June 3, instead of the original March 25 date, would not affect the construction timeline.
The delay would allow city officials to quantify and consider the change in the foundation recommendations and the soil impacts to the facility estimate.
"We need to consider what this information means, as far as the final design costs, what other costs might be associated," Dixon said. "So, for example, now that we're doing a pile foundation, maybe there's less soil that needs to be excavated and transported to the landfill. there are certainly some details around this that needs to be considered."
The earliest construction could start would be spring 2025.
Soccer Northwest president Michael Veneziale said he's disappointed at the latest development, but not all that surprised.
"It seems like every time we come to some sort of decision, there is a delay," he said.
The full report will include the results of a financial analysis of the facility, including expected revenues, operating costs and life cycle costs.
An open house was held on Jan. 24 to garner feedback from the public, determine general community support for the proposal and determine the willingness of the public to pay additional taxes to cover the costs of the debt financing needed to build the turf facility.
