Community Centre Update: “On schedule and within budget”

A couple of weeks ago, Bill Gibson, Chair of Pelham’s Meridian Community Centre Oversight Committee, presented another upbeat update to Council.

You will recall that Council listened to suggestions from the public for proper project supervision by establishing Community Centre Oversight Committee two years ago. The committee includes two community members (Gibson and Bill Sheldon), one Council rep (Councillor Accursi), and the Chief Administrative Officer (Darren Ottaway). This committee works to ensure that the Town receives value-for-money in every aspect of the project and that the project gets delivered on time and on budget, and to provide the community with consistent and timely updates.

You will also recall that Ball Construction serves as the project’s construction manager and works with the committee, the architect, Town staff, and the various contractors to manage the project’s timing and construction.

Mr. Gibson provided updates on the project’s milestones, and finances. He showed pictures of the significant progress on the Meridian Community Centre. He outlined that the rink boards, glass, and netting were already installed in the Duliban Insurance Arena. He showed the painting and finishing work in the activity centres (named the Lucchetta Homes Courts). He spoke about the great work of local contractors – like Star Tile, which has tiled each of the washrooms and change rooms. He showed photos of the glass along the Walker Industries Upper Viewing Galleria and around the Mountainview Homes Upper Arena Lobby. He outlined improvement in the Dr. Gary & Mal Accursi multi-purpose room. His pictures showed progress along the Lookout Ridge Walking / Running Track and final preparations for the 1,000 seats in the Accipiter Arena.

He also outlined some imminent construction milestones like installing the basketball nets and divider curtains in the activity centre and installing the centre scoreboard in the Accipiter Arena. He said that most of the porcelain tile floors on the second floor would be completed by the end of April and, depending on the moisture levels, Ball Construction would also oversee the start of the wood floor installation in the activity centre. Later in May, workers would commence installation of the rubber “skaters” flooring and the poured rubber walking / running track floor.

Mr. Gibson said that the Oversight Committee was forecasting that this project will be within budget and will reach substantial completion on time – on June 1, 2018.

“Substantial completion” means that Ball Construction will “turn over the keys” to Town staff. Over the summer, staff will re-test systems, move in furniture and equipment and work with volunteer user groups so they can move furniture and equipment into their rooms and storage spaces. We are also planning for tours and open houses over the summer – but they have yet to be scheduled.

Obviously, all of this is great news for our community! Council and I look forward to opening the new Meridian Community Centre so that it can become the place for residents of all ages to gather and enjoy a wide-variety of recreational, social, health and community activities for many, many years.

To review the presentation by the Oversight Committee, please click here. You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca.

“Big Pour” Milestone

Last Thursday, the construction of the new Pelham Community Centre (PCC) passed another milestone – the “Big Pour.”

You see, the Big Pour was when Ball Construction oversaw workers using a concrete pump truck and special laser leveling and polishing machines to continuously pour, level and smooth the floor of the Accipiter Arena in the PCC.

The set-up began weeks ago when workers smoothed sand across the leveled and prepared ground. Then, they weaved black heating pipe on top of the sand, and covered that with more sand. That heating pipe will circulate excess heat from the Ecco-Chiller ice machine along the ground to stop the build-up of permafrost.

I understand that permafrost isn’t too much of a problem in rinks that don’t have ice for one-third of the year – like the current Pelham arena. However, arenas that maintain ice into the spring and late summer or year-round, permafrost can build up and heave the concrete floor! A build-up of permafrost heaved the concrete ice-pads in the St. Catharines four-pad arena, for example, following a malfunction of the heating pipe / coil.

Then crews secured two layers of dense, “Ultra extruded” Styrofoam insulation across the sand. On top of the Styrofoam they weaved a lattice of pipes, rebar, and a metal frame that formed the core for the pad’s concrete floor.

Impressively, they checked and double-checked every square inch of the lattice and held the piping under high-pressure for three weeks so they could check the pipes, seals, and other materials. Since this passed the tests with flying colours, Ball Construction organized the Big Pour.

To ensure a constant supply of concrete for this continuous and seamless pour, Ball Construction not only secured an exclusive concrete supply from one plant, they also had another concrete factory on “stand-by” in case anything went wrong.

After the polishing and during the curing of the concrete, Ball Construction will cover the floor with water. When they slowly drain that water, they will note any high or irregular spots in need of further polishing – so that the floor will be as level as possible.

It was my honour to witness the Big Pour along with the Oversight Committee and some of the major fundraising donors to the Community Centre. And, I was delighted that two local, retired NHL players – Doug Freeland and John Stringer – also watched part of that Big Pour last week.

After this milestone and with 98% of the Centre tendered and because of the hard work of Ball Construction, all the trades and Town Staff and the Oversight Committee, the new Community Centre is on-budget and on-time to open next summer.

For more information about the multi-use facility that includes two arenas, a walking/running track, two large divisible gymnasiums, multipurpose community rooms and a spacious atrium, please go to www.ourpcc.ca or to www.pelham.ca/PCC.


You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.