Fredericton's Conference Centre One Step Closer to Completion
Fredericton (August 27, 2007) - Fredericton's conference centre has moved one step closer to completion with City Council's awarding of a contract to the ADI Group to design, engineer and construct the municipality's downtown development project, which includes the conference centre, parking facility and office tower next to The Playhouse.
"This agreement allows us to get started now on designing the conference centre, while working in an integrated manner to finalize details for the entire development," said Mayor Brad Woodside. "This project will transform our downtown, and I look forward to meeting with Premier Shawn Graham soon to discuss the province's agreement in principle to develop a new office tower as part of the project."
The agreement will see ADI proceed with the conceptual design phase of component one of the contract, which includes the conference centre and related underground parking. Design and construction costs for the conference centre are expected to be $21 million.
Component two of the agreement relates to the office building with related underground parking. This is estimated to be a $41 million project. The final component of the agreement involves the above ground parking structure, estimated to cost $7 million. The entire design and construction phase will take 24 - 30 months to complete.
"This is an important infrastructure project for Fredericton and the economic development efforts of this community," said Mayor Woodside. "I am pleased with the vision shown by City Council in moving this project forward, and hope that the Hon. Lawrence Cannon, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities is now able to meet with us to discuss federal funding,"
The City of Fredericton unveiled its plan for a conference centre and parking structure in November 2004. The project was expected to generate new business and create cultural opportunities for the City, and stimulate development by attracting the interest of a hotel developer and encouraging the construction of a new office tower. The project will also address lobby and washroom issues for The Playhouse.
A consortium of companies headed by the ADI Group was selected in January 2006 to work with the City of Fredericton on master planning for the conference centre and develop a conceptual plan for the entire project. Further validation for the conference centre design came from a tour of conference centres in the Eastern US and Ontario in March 2006.
In May 2006, the Province of New Brunswick announced its support for the project by selling the municipality land to accommodate the conference centre and agreeing in principle to work with the City in the development of a new 13,500-square-metre (about 150,000-square-foot) office building next to the centre. Design work, funding discussions and land assembly continued throughout the last half of 2006 and into 2007.
For more on the Fredericton's downtown development project, log on to www.fredericton.ca.
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Media Contact: Don Fitzgerald, Executive Director, Team Fredericton, 506-460-2595.
