OLDS — Work on the controversial $8 million operations centre in Olds is just in its early stages.
Director of operations Scott Chant made that point during council’s June 1 policies and priorities meeting.
The new facility is being built off 70th Avenue where the wastewater treatment area was.
Currently, operations staff work out of three old buildings in the community.
The purpose of the new facility is to consolidate staff from those three buildings into one. The older buildings would then be disposed of.
The facility would also house equipment like graders, other vehicles, sand and salt for roads, materials for road repairs, pipes for the water system and garbage bins.
Approximately $8 million is allocated for construction of the new building. Another $2 million or so is slated to be spent on reclaiming and servicing the land.
The town has borrowed approximately $10.7 million to complete the project.
The project became controversial because the town applied for – and received – permission from the province to exceed its debt limit in order to complete it.
Several residents objected to that decision.
As of Dec. 31, 2018, the town’s regulated debt limit was $35,027,291.
Town officials projected the town will be back within its “regulated limit” in 2021.
Chant told council the contractor has moved construction shacks on-site.
The plan for the first week in June was relocate an old white structure on the property to make room for the project.
Chant told council that a fire training structure in the area has already been moved out of the way as well.
“So they’re sort of semi-started here,” he said.
"They’re looking forward to getting working on the project and hopefully the rain will serve them a little bit better for June and they’ll be able to make some headway.”
