October 6, 2008

WILLIAM CONWAY/PROGRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

The Queen’s Centre, a three-phase $150 million project is the centrepiece of nearly $300 million of construction going on at Queen’s University, including a parking garage and athletic field replacement.

Projects

Communication key at busy Queen’s University in Ontario

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

Co-ordination of almost $300 million in capital construction projects at Queen’s University heavily relies on one thing — communication, says the university’s construction director.

“Ongoing communication is absolutely key. We have a lot of people working on a lot of teams and projects,” says Jacques Sauve, construction director at Queen’s.

“We have two full-time project managers on the Queen’s Centre project alone.”

The Queen’s Centre is a three-phased project worth $150 million. Its first phase of construction was led by PCL Constructors Canada Inc. This phase consists of a new school for physical health and kinesiology, gyms, locker room, fitness area and a pool. Clearing the site for the project included relocation of city services from Clergy Street and the moving and demolition of some houses.

The Queen’s Centre project is considered the prime jewel in the university’s expansion efforts, says Sauve. Phase two and three of the project are currently under evaluation.

“These facilities needed to be updated and most of it has been funded through fundraising and university funds,” notes Sauve.

Major projects such as the $30 million Tindall Field replacement and parking garage and the $12.2 million Richardson Hall renovation will be wrapping up by the end of this October. Ottawa’s Pomerleau was the general contractor on the Tindall Field project which consisted of building a parking garage under the current Mackintosh Corry parking lot and topping it with artificial playing turf.

Another major project wrapping up in the next few weeks is reconstruction of University Avenue, from Union to Stuart streets, on campus. This $7 million-plus project has resulted in significant improvements to one of the university’s most important streets. Replacement of underground services, removal of a median, resurfacing the street with cobblestone and reconstruction of sidewalks and building forecourts were all elements of the project. Kingston-based contractor T.A. Andre and Sons led the construction of this project.

Sometime this winter tenders will go out for the further expansion of Queen’s School of Business which was just renovated and expanded five years ago. A performance arts centre on campus and expanded school of medicine facilities are also currently in the design phase. The catchment area for contractors, subs and designers for the university’s various projects extends well past Kingston’s borders, notes Sauve.

“When you have significant projects of this size you draw people in from Toronto to Ottawa,” Sauve says. “However, those areas are busy too. We are paying a premium to draw larger subs and companies in. To bring them in here can be an expensive proposition.”

Rising materials costs for items such as copper and soaring fuel costs have been felt by the university since it has so many projects on one single campus.

Sauve has been with Queen’s for just over a year, after 31 years of construction industry experience, and he says the labour and costs challenges of such large construction expansion plans cannot be ignored.

“It was ultimately what drew me to (the position),” says Sauve.

Print | Email | Comment