Infrastructure Ontario: stadium on budget, on time (no matter what city councilor says)
Drew Edwards
http://scratchingpost.thespec.com 10/09/2013
A day after a Hamilton city councilor alleged construction on city's new stadium is two weeks behind schedule,
the provincial agency responsible for the facility says Tim Hortons Field is set to be completed by its target date.
“The project continues to progress
on time and on budget,” said Terrence Foran, a communications advisor for Infrastructure Ontario. “Things are moving according to schedule.”
Councillor Lloyd Ferguson said Tuesday that stadium construction is about two weeks behind schedule, adding that workers are catching up via six-day work weeks. Ferguson sits on the city's Pan Am subcommittee.
But according to Foran, who says the developer has an obligation to let Infrastructure Ontario know if they are behind, the building is approximately 30 per cent complete.
“We're responsible for project management so we work with the developer to track progress,” Foran said. “I can't speculate on why the councilor is saying that. I honestly don't know.”
Ferguson did not return messages seeking comment.
The Hamilton stadium, which has a budget of $148 million, is being built by an international consortium that include architects Cannon Design and builder Bouygues Construction, a huge multinational based in France.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats chief executive officer Scott Mitchell said he's been given
June 30 as the date the city will take possession and the team can begin its preparations for the 2014 season. The Ticats are working with the league to schedule the team's first two or three games on the road and are working on contingency plans, just in case.
“If there was a problem – and everyone is telling us that there isn't – we would then play a home game somewhere else and that would buy us another two or three weeks,” Mitchell said.
The team has not asked their current landlords at the University of Guelph about potentially using Alumni Stadium next season, though vice president of student affairs Brenda Whiteside said that remains a possibility.
“There have been no discussions – I think they're pretty confident that they are going to make it,” Whiteside said. “We've had a great relationship with the Ticats and if they wanted to talk, we'd talk. But I don't think it's on anyone's radar right now.”