From the Portage Daily Graphic

The City of Portage la Prairie is one step closer to having all four tender packages for the Portage Credit Union Centre awarded.

Although 10 of the 16 tenders came in over budget, city councillors voted unanimously in favour of a resolution awarding portions of Tenders 3 and 4, at their regular meeting on Monday night.

The tenders, which include major components of the multiplex, including the pool, electrical and mechanical work, were accepted by council at just over $14.1 million — $734,573 over the budgeted cost, which was nearly $13.4 million.

After the meeting, Mayor Ken Brennan said he is not concerned by the overages because they fit into a nearly $1.2-million contingency built into the $35.7-million budget for the project.

“After awarding the portions of 3 and 4 that we did tonight, we’re still very confident that we’ll be able to bring the whole project in on that budget,” he explained.

The mayor said all of Tenders 3 and 4 weren’t voted on at the meeting because the project manager with Tower Engineering is still “massaging” the costs of the remaining tenders with contractors to get the best price.

“They talk to the contractors and make changes and consult with the RM and the city to make sure they are suitable,” said Brennan. “I think Tower and Stantec have done an excellent job for us getting this thing in on budget.”

To date, the total cost of tenders that have been approved by the city is just over $27.1 million, with nearly $7.5 million left to award.

Brennan said the prices on the remaining tenders are locked in until at least their next meeting, scheduled for Nov. 10.

“We’re not defaulting on any dates on any tenders by any means,” he explained.

Here is a breakdown of which tenders Portage la Prairie city council approved at its meeting on Monday, how much they cost and whether they came in over or under budget. In total, 16 tenders were awarded, totaling $14,126,148, which was $734,573 over the budgeted estimate of $13,391,575.
Misc. Metals – Tatra Ornamental Iron Works for $346,460, over budget by $111,134;
Hollow Metal Doors – Allmar International for $275,492, over budget by $53,614;
Folding Panel Partitions – Shanahan’s for $22,171, over budget by $277;
Doors and Windows – Allan’s Glass & Aluminum Pro for $667,000, under budget by $15,500;
Steel Studs, drywall and acoustic tiles – SSS Drywall for $375,000, under budget by $50,923;
Dasher Boards – Global Sports Resources for $128,946, under budget by $11,054;
Food Equipment – Russel Food Equipment Ltd. for $211,884, over budget by $11,601;
Mechanical – Ambassador Mechanical Ltd. for $4,258,000, over budget by $241,000;
Fire Protection – Viking Fire Protection for $310,600, over budget by $36,528;
Electrical – Wescan Electrical for $3,889,500, over budget by $139,500;
Asphalt Paving – Bituminex Paving Ltd. for $354,250, under budget by $30,072;
Chain Link Fencing – Wallace & Wallace for $7,390, under budget by $9,860;
Roof Hatches – Shanahan’s for $17,400, over budget by $14,554;
Visual Display Boards – Shanahan’s for $8,105, under budget by $1,426;
Refrigeration Systems – Cimco Refrigeration for $836,650, over budget by $243,850;
Pool – Hollandia for $2,417,300, over budget by $1,350.