Jennifer Miller
Sun
CREDIT: Steve Bosch, Vancouver Sun Files A forest of piles is being driven in for the Vancouver Convention Centre expansion, the cost of which has gone up by $50 million.
The Vancouver Convention Centre expansion project has crept $50 million over its original budget, the B.C. government announced Friday.
The province is kicking in the extra money to add features such as an expanded walkway around the building and more commercial space — but also to cover a $25-million increase in construction costs.
“Even though we’ve built in for escalations, etcetera, when you have the very robust market that we have now in British Columbia where there are materials and labour shortages . . . it gets reflected and it gets magnified because of the size of the project,” project director Russ Anthony said in an interview Friday.
The total budget for the project is now $615 million, up from the original budget of $565 million. The provincial government is now providing $272.5 million, with a $222.5 contribution from the federal government, $90 million from Tourism Vancouver and $30 million in commercial revenue.
“The project is owned by the province and the province has responsibility for it and so they’ve made the decision that these changes are in the best public interest,” said Anthony of the public amenities being added to the project.
The additions came out of the public review and city approval process and include design enhancements to make the convention centre a “landmark building” that includes more commercial space to draw the public to the Coal Harbour location, he said.
The waterfront is being built over land and water with 1,000 piles, creating some unique construction needs. The project includes extensive tidal work and a low tide occurs at night, increasing construction costs with night work, said Anthony.
“We have a very unique project and a very unique site,” he said.
Richard Yore, the director of meeting and convention sales for Tourism Vancouver, said in an interview Friday the organization is “pleased” with the government’s commitment to building a world-class facility.
The $25 million extra in construction costs are a reality in the Lower Mainland, he said. “It’s not just this one project, which I think the taxpayers would understand.”
The expansion is expected to open in late 2008 and is projected to help generate $107 million each year in delegate spending. The new facility will also hold the media and broadcast centre for the 2010 Olympics.
The current convention centre was opened in 1987 and was at capacity within ten years.
© The Vancouver Sun 2005