Cost of building tent-like migrant shelter pegged at $15M

The City of Ottawa has found a contractor to design and build a tent-like structure to shelter migrants, with an estimated price tag of up to $15 million.

In a post on the city's online public consultation portal Engage Ottawa on Tuesday, the city said BLT Construction Services is the only available and qualified vendor to provide a "Sprung Instant Structure" that will house a newcomer reception centre.

Sprung Structures is a leading manufacturer of tensile fabric structures that can be quickly built and customized. BLT would oversee the design of the structure, as well its construction and interior fit-up.

The city has issued an advanced contract award notification, which signals its intent to award the contract to BLT, but also gives other potential bidders two weeks to show they, too, can meet the requirements.

According to the notice, the city expects it will take about one year to complete the project from the time it awards the contract, raising the prospect that it might not be done in time for next winter. 

"Once we engage with a firm we'll be actively working on how do we accelerate the project so that we can get it up and running as soon as possible, but we need to do it right," said Clara Freire, the city's general manager of community and social services.

Controversy and protests

The newcomer reception centre is slated to go up on land near the Nepean Sportsplex. The plan has proved controversial, triggering competing protests and a tense public information session. 

The city plans to proceed with a second structure, pending funding and as required, and said it should have a similar price and construction timeline. A second location has been set aside in Kanata.

"Right now our goal is to really focus on getting this out of the gate and moving through the project [before building a second shelter]," said Freire.

The Engage Ottawa post again stated that the reception centre will be funded by the federal government, though Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees Canada has made no announcement to that effect. The city has been in negotiations to seek $106 million through the Interim Housing Assistance Program to fund the structures themselves, as well as three years of operation.

The city is moving forward with the project without the secured federal funding because, Freire said, it's under "a time crunch" to get the building up as soon as possible. On Wednesday, the city clarified it will use pre-existing federal funding to cover the costs — not municipal dollars.

"We can't do the procurement, the initial design and all of the construction work in an efficient and effective way if we don't launch the process," she said. "We're in constant discussions with [the federal government]. We expect to receive [funding] confirmation very soon."

City staff have argued that the plan will create more dignified living arrangements for refugee claimants currently staying in municipal recreation centres, allowing the city to return those facilities to the community.

Expectations set

The award notice lays out the city's expectations for the facility in detail. It wants a structure of about 30,000 square feet to house about 150 people and include HVAC and water systems.

It should have a minimum lifespan of 25 years and the potential for conversion to other uses, such as recreation.

Inside, the city wants space for a commercial kitchen, a dining area, laundry and a staff office, as well as 18 toilets and 15 showers.

The sleeping area should be 10,000 to 12,000 square feet, with a "dormitory-style layout" and sleeping units with space for two single beds.

The reception centre is intended to shelter asylum seekers for 90 days. If they haven't found permanent housing by that time, the city plans to move them to transitional housing facilities elsewhere.

"This reception centre is one piece of a broader reception model that we're trying to into place here in Ottawa," said Freire.