Equipment upgrades at the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre will cost more than the city bargained for. The city originally budgeted $5.7 million for HVAC upgrades, but city staff said the projected cost has increased to $12 million over the past three years.
“The HVAC system to be replaced is required to ensure air quality and dehumidification withing the pool area and is considered fundamental to the operation of the facility,” said Darcie Osborn, director of parks, recreation and culture for the city during a finance and audit committee meeting on May 21.
The committee voted to recommend council increase the budget by $6.7 million. A grant from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – Clean BC Communities Fund, a cost share between the federal and provincial government, will cover $3 million of the project.
A report from city staff noted a boiler failure that required emergency replacement contributed to the increased cost, alongside other factors.
“Three years have passed since initial grant application and budget setting. During this time, record inflation has been experienced in many sectors, including construction,” the report said. “As the project develops through schematic design, the complexities of replacing the large and complex equipment in the existing constrained spaces and connecting the upper mechanical mezzanine with the mechanical plant on the opposite side of the building have driven the costs higher.”
Timing of the upgrades is not yet decided but it will require the pool to be closed for at least 60 consecutive days, according to the report.
Osborne said the upgrades are needed to ensure air quality and dehumidification withing the pool area. The staff report also noted the aquatic centre is the largest single producer of greenhouse emissions in the city’s portfolio of facilities and the upgrades will reduce them by about 70 per cent – resulting in a total corporate emission reduction of 13 per cent.
