Another speed bump for Biodôme overhaul project as estimates come in $6M over budget
The budget for the project is $16.3M but the lowest estimate came in at $22.4M
Work to renovate the Montreal Biodôme is slated to begin this spring, but projected budget overruns could halt the project in its tracks.
For the second time, the plans to refurbish the Biodôme have come in over budget. The city set aside $16.3 million for the work, but the lowest cost estimate submitted by a contractor came in at $22.4 million, Radio-Canada has learned.
But it's unclear whether Mayor Valérie Plante will put the project on hold in light of the budget overrun, just as former mayor Denis Coderre did in 2016.
The Biodôme was slated to close Feb. 12 so the animals could be relocated during the work, but Espace pour la vie, the public organization that oversees the facility, announced Wednesday morning that the closure was being pushed back to March 26 because of the tender offers.
Coderre had cancelled the call for tenders and asked the Biodôme to rethink its plan after initial estimates from construction companies came in at $28.2 million.
A spokesperson for the Espace pour la vie told Radio-Canada that a meeting was held Tuesday and that elected officials were expected to make a decision soon.
The project is being financed completely by the City of Montreal after the provincial government pulled out.
Plante has not responded to a request for comment.
Migration 2.0
The renovation, dubbed "Migration 2.0," includes plans to construct two new walkways, elevators, office space and a gazebo where visitors can observe the ecosystems from above.
When the project was downgraded after the 2016 estimates came in, plans to relocate the amphitheatre and the discovery room were scrapped.
With files from Radio-Canada's Thomas Gerbet