The Town of Sidney is moving forward with a new public washroom facility, despite the budget for the project doubling in scope.
The project will see five new washrooms added to the downtown core – including two standard toilets, two accessible toilets, and one “changing places” washroom for people with complex disabilities – along the waterfront walkway near Beacon Park.
The facility was originally estimated to cost $430,000 last year, but that cost has now risen to an estimated $810,000.
“While it is extremely disappointing that this project tender came in so far above the town’s original budget, it is yet another reflection of the cost of construction at this time,” reads a town staff report that was reviewed by council Tuesday.
“The waterfront location, as well as the need to construct a robust facility that will withstand heavy use, also add to the cost,” the report reads.
The town notes that the contractor that has been selected to build the washroom, Cascadia West Contracting, recently built another public washroom in the Capital Regional District which cost roughly $1,100 per square foot.
Meanwhile, construction costs for Sidney’s new washroom will ring in at around $900 per square foot, according to the municipality.
It adds that the City of Victoria recently spent $400,000 on a public washroom facility that only contains one stall.
The town plans to cover $305,000 of the project’s cost, while another $100,000 will be covered by the federal “enabling accessibility” grant.
The municipality plans to apply for the remaining $305,000 required for the project through a grant from the provincial growing communities fund.
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Adam Chan
