Owen Sound Council has given its blessing to the 38 million dollar regional recreation centre.
Council approved the tender for excavation and servicing work at a special meeting late Wednesday afternoon.
It’s been given to Harold Sutherland Construction.
The good news is the tender came in at 661 thousand dollars — which is well under the budgeted amount of 1.2 million.
Council says its also committed to the rec centre despite the fact it still hasn’t heard from the provincial and federal governments on an extension for the project because of soil problems at Victoria Park.
The city could be on the hook for another 8 million dollars on top of its 9 million dollar commitment if government funding is jeapordized by missing the deadline for completion which was originally March 2011.
If necessary, the city will finance the additional costs and amortize them over 17 years.
It would result in a tax hike, but supporters of the project have said the cost is acceptable given the benefits of the rec facility and what it will mean to the city.
But councillors believe this project will be one of hundreds across the province and thousands across the country which will not be finished within a year, and they believe the provincial and federal governments will have no choice but to continue to fund the ones which are well on their way to completion.
Councillor Jim McManaman, chair of the steering committee in charge of the project, says residents can help by contacting the upper levels of government and urging them to not pull the plug on the funding.
Mayor Ruth Lovell Stanners says the time for rhetoric and angst is over, and it’s now time for work to begin.
Site preparation work is expected to get underway as soon as Monday.