Inflation boosts fire station cost

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This article was published 10/03/2022 (1317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE cost of a new fire paramedic station in Windsor Park has risen $2 million.

The price hike was revealed Wednesday during an update on the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service’s long-term strategic plan to replace, renovate and consolidate aging local fire halls.

The new station, which would consolidate stations Nos. 9 and 15, was expected to cost $13.4 million. However, that’s jumped.

“It came in at about $2 million over the previous estimate. This is mainly due to construction inflation. A value engineering exercise is ongoing to explore where costs can be further reduced, including deferring site development work and reducing the quality of interior and exterior finishes,” Linda Hathout, a WFPS program manager, told council’s protection and community services committee.

“We (generally) are able to proceed with the current design.”

Hathout said the station is still expected to be about 18,500 square feet and construction is expected to occur between December 2022 and November 2023. She noted the entire facility overhaul is needed to ensure the fire paramedic service can meet emergency response standards.

The presentation noted the higher cost was sparked by increased costs for labour and materials, exceeding a cost estimate from 2018.

In addition to pursuing design changes to cut costs, Hathout said WFPS will ask for additional funding.

Coun. Sherri Rollins, chairperson of the protection committee, said WFPS plans to ask for about $766,000 more for the project, after expected cuts are factored in.

“It is hard to see numbers come in like that but I know from the briefing the department is doing all that it can… the construction inflation is related to global economic shocks and we’re not the only city facing that,” said Rollins.

— Joyanne Pursaga