The municipality is breathing easy this week, after receiving the results of the library and cultural centre鈥檚 air quality tests, which show the building is mould free.
鈥淐rossing this hurdle is huge for us,鈥� said Mark Fercho, chief administrative officer for the municipality. 鈥淚f this step wouldn鈥檛 have worked, that would have been a major setback.鈥�
The air quality test is necessary to determine if, while the building was under construction over the past four years, the contractors maintained its integrity, preventing the formation of mould while it was open to the elements.
To do the test, first the building envelope鈥攖he barrier between the interior and exterior of the building鈥攈ad to be sealed and the HVAC systems had to run for a few days. Once that was done, the air quality tests could be completed.
鈥淭hat air testing is now done and the building did prove mould free, so that is a huge step,鈥� said Fercho while presenting the news to council at the Jan. 12 committee-of-the-whole meeting.
Fercho said with that testing completed, the municipality can now allow the building鈥檚 tenants鈥攖he municipal library, Jasper Artist Guild, Habitat for the Arts, l鈥橝ssociation Canadienne Francaise de l鈥橝lberta (ACFA) and the mayor and council鈥攖o start moving some of their furniture and supplies into the building. He wasn鈥檛 clear on when that would begin, but suggested he would be contacting each of the groups in due course.
Although the air testing is now done, that does not mean the building is complete. The three projects that were holding it up for the past few months are still underway, however, according to Fercho, they are all now progressing.
The projects include reinstalling the glass vestibule at the entrance of the building, inspecting, approving and installing new stair treads and railings along staircases and installing wood flooring in the entranceway of the heritage building鈥攖he former home of the library and the heart of the entire expansion project.
All three projects need to be completed before the building鈥檚 startup and commissioning can begin and municipal staff can start training on the building鈥檚 mechanical systems.
The wood flooring was delayed by the installation of a faux door, where the library鈥檚 old entrance was once located, but according to Fercho that door has been installed and the contractors are now installing a wall behind it. Once that鈥檚 completed, the remainder of the flooring鈥攚hich is already halfway completed鈥攃an be installed.
鈥淚 anticipate that to be completed shortly,鈥� said Fercho.
Progress is also being made on the glass vestibule, which was improperly installed and subsequently removed. The glass has been reinstalled and final adjustments are now being made to each of the glass panels to ensure they are properly in place.
鈥淏asically it is in, but some adjustments need to be made before we accept it,鈥� said Fercho, noting that there is currently tarps over the glass, so the contractors can heat it on the inside and outside to allow for those adjustments to take place.
Delays on the building鈥檚 stairs and railings have been going on for months, with the joints for the stairs being improperly placed at both the front and back of the building, resulting in those joints being removed and reinstalled. Once that was completed, stair treads were installed, but the final shipment of treads had to be returned to the manufacturer because they didn鈥檛 pass inspection.
鈥淲e had two loads of stair treads that did pass inspection and were installed and we had one load that did not pass inspection and was sent back. That third and final shipment of treads arrived on site during the holidays.
鈥淭he treads have not been inspected as of yet, but the test fit on the treads looks pretty good, so I鈥檓 hopeful these treads will get installed very shortly,鈥� said Fercho, noting that the inspection will be done by the building architect.
With the stair treads installed, then the railings can be installed.
Fercho said that鈥檚 the one project that 鈥渉as a touch of unknown,鈥� because a new railing contractor was hired late last year and the railings are still being manufactured.
Despite that, Fercho said he鈥檚 feeling much more positive about the project.
鈥淩ight now we鈥檙e on a great trajectory with the project. With the exception of the railings, all of the materials are now on site and Delnor has committed to bringing additional staff resources onto the project in January to get the project going hard. You should see that extra push on site.鈥�
When construction began on the long beleaguered library and cultural centre project, it was slated for completion in January 2013, but over the course of the next four years, numerous construction errors and unforeseen issues delayed the project鈥攚ith the roof, walls, floors, stairs, windows and mechanical system all improperly installed and subsequently redone.
In December 2014鈥攏early two years past its original opening date鈥攖he municipality announced a new completion date of September 2015, but that date, as well as the subsequent Oct. 2 completion date, have come and gone and the building is still under construction.
In November 2015, council heard that the plan was to have the building substantially completed by January 2016 and that an opening date would follow shortly after, however, Fercho has been hesitant to set another completion date.
On Jan. 12 he said when he presents to council in February, he hopes to have a new schedule for completion, including a date.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
