City awards $2.7-million fire hall contract
Low bidder from Mississauga accepted
By Mike Pearson
Ancaster News
Mar 14, 2008
A Mississauga firm will be responsible for the construction of Ancaster's new emergency services Station 20.
M.J. Dixon Construction Limited was awarded the contract late last month.
The company's bid of $2,723,000 was the lowest of seven submissions.
The figure was $124,621 lower than Ancaster firm Bestco Construction. The highest bid of 3,895,000 was submitted by Hamilton firm Triple Crown Enterprises.
Hamilton assistant deputy fire chief Jim Doyle said the contract is a win-win situation for the city. M.J. Dixon not only submitted the lowest bid, but also has experience using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design principles.
"It's great that they've got some experience," Mr. Doyle said.
The new emergency services building will be built using LEED guidelines for energy efficiency and locally-produced materials.
Mr. Doyle said the city will strive for LEED silver designation. LEED is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council. There are multiple LEED designations ranging from platinum to bronze.
According to information on its Web site, M.J. Dixon has built several emergency services stations in the Greater Toronto Area. Its Ajax fire station project was billed as the first major architectural project promoting environmental initiatives in Ajax. The station was also built according to LEED Gold specifications.
Another fire hall for the city of Toronto at Old Leslie Street included state-of-the- art communication cabling systems, closed circuit television and security systems, vehicle exhaust systems, apparatus bays, dormitory training facilities and fire prevention offices, as well as kitchen and fitness facilities.
Paul Chang, co-ordinator of LEED construction for M.J. Dixon, was on vacation this week. A preliminary site meeting with the contractor and city staff is scheduled for next week.
Station 20, located at the northwest corner of Garner Road and Kitty Murray Lane, is scheduled for occupancy by December. The site is currently home to the Ancaster Fairgrounds, which are slated to relocate by 2009. Construction of the emergency services station will begin this spring and is expected to continue until this fall.
Station 20 will operate 24-hours, seven days per week, with one fire truck and one emergency medical services vehicle. The station will be staffed by 20 full-time firefighters.
A sign of urban growth!
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