R.M. Belanger Ltd. has been awarded the contract to complete phase one of the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre construction project in Bell Park.
A total of $139,545 was awarded by city council to R.M. Belanger, who will prepare the amphitheatre site to for construction. The city had estimated the value to be $200,000.
The winning company submitted the second lowest bid, behind William Day Construction Ltd., but was selected because it met all the city's requirements, according to city reports.
The majority of Phase one work is scheduled to be completed by year-end, weather permitting.
Construction of the new amphitheatre is expected to start in spring 2010, with project completion by January 2011.
The redevelopment of the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre at Bell Park was one of six “shovel-ready” projects approved by council on Apr. 22, submitted for funding through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF) program.
On June 5, the $5 million amphitheatre project became one of four approved ISF projects. The municipal, provincial and federal government contribute one third of the funds each.
On July 8, city council awarded a request for proposal for the architectural portion of the redevelopment of the amphitheatre to Castellan James and Partners Architecture Inc.
City staff submitted a general application on Sept. 4 seeking $835,000 from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for the amphitheatre. That amount represents 50 per cent of the municipal cost portion of the project. The proposal is in the hands of the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry.
The estimated project budget is $5 million, including the cost of demolition for the current site.
