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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO 01-07 Citll 01 REPORT TO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Report Number: CAO 01-07 Date: January 22, 2007 From: Thomas J. Quinn Chief Administrative Officer 001 Subject: Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge Project Status Update and Proposed 2007 Work Program . File: D 1210-002 Recommendation: 1. That Report to Council CAO 01-07 concerning the Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge project be received by Council. 2. That staff be requested to file the Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge Environmental Study Report with the Ministry of the Environment. 3. That staff be requested to proceed with the proposed 2007 work program for the Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge project as outlined in this Report. 4. That the appropriate City officials be authorized to seek any necessary approvals and enter into any necessary agreements with the Province, CN Rail, GO- Transit, Pickering Town Centre / 20 Vic Management or others as may be required to facilitate the development of this project. 5. That staff be requested to continue working cooperatively with Pickering Town Centre / 20 Vic Management on coordinating the design and timing of the bridge and abutting office tower and on marketing and promoting the office tower. 6. That staff be requested to further investigate and report back to Council with respect to the cost of the Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge, including any potential additional funding opportunities, sources or partners. 7. That the construction of the Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge be undertaken only in association with the northerly abutting office tower to be constructed by others on the Pickering Town Centre shopping mall site. 8. That a copy of this Report be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal, the Region of Durham, C.N. Rail, GO- Transit, Pickering Town Centre / 20 Vic Management, M.P.P Wayne Arthurs, M.P. Dan McTeague and M.P. Mark Holland. Report CAO 01-07 January 22, 2007 Subject: Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge Project C02 Page 2 Executive Summary: This Report provides an update on the Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge project, including the environmental assessment and design work that has been completed to date, an update on the proposed northerly abutting Pickering Town Centre office tower, and staff's proposed 2007 work program. The proposed 2007 work program includes completion of the remaining background investigations, finalizing the bridge design, and obtaining all necessary approvals and agreements from affected parties, including the Ministry of Transportation, GO-Transit, CN Rail, and Pickering Town Centre / 20 Vic Management. The Report also provides an update on estimated construction costs for the bridge. Costs have risen appreciably since the project was first conceived. Staff are very concerned about these increased costs, and will report back to Council at a later date on this matter, including opportunities for costs savings, as well as potential additional funding opportunities, sources and/or partners. The Report does not recommend bridge construction at this time. Based on the 2007 work program, and the need to coordinate bridge construction with the development of the northerly abutting office tower, the City will not be in a position to consider bridge construction until the spring of 2008 at the earliest. A separate report to Council will be provided at a later date with respect to the timing of bridge construction. Financial Implications: In 2005, Council approved the hiring of Totten Sims Hubicki to commence the required environmental assessment and design work associated with the Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge project. To date, approximately $125,000 has been spent of the $300,000 set aside for design work. The remaining funds (approximately $175,000) are sufficient to complete the proposed 2007 work program. Accordingly, there are no new financial implications associated with this Report. However, for information purposes, it should be noted that total construction costs have risen appreciably since this project was first proposed a number of years ago. Construction costs are now estimated to be between $7 and $8 million. More detail on estimated costs is provided in this Report. It should also be noted that the provincial Ministry of Transportation remains committed to providing the City with a grant of up to $1.067 million to assist with the Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge project. Discussions will continue with the Ministry through 2007, and a subsequent report to Council will be provided with respect to provincial funding assistance, as well as any other potential funding partners, sources or opportunities that may become available. Report CAO 01-07 (.04Subject: Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge Project January 22, 2007 Page 4 Staff is requesting Council's authorization to file the ESR with the Ministry of the Environment. Once filed, a 30-day review period would follow. During this period, copies of the ESR would be made available for public review through the Clerk's Division, at the Central Library and on the City's website. If no outstanding concerns are brought forward during the review period, the ESR would be approved, and the City would have up to five years to commence construction. If construction is not started within five years, the City would have to review the planning and design of the bridge, and file an addendum to the ESR. Preferred Bridqe Desiqn The ESR concluded that the preferred solution for improving non-motorized travel between the GO-Train station and Pickering's downtown is the construction of a new pedestrian bridge over Highway 401. Key elements of the preferred design, as outlined in the ESR, are described below. . An enclosed "truss-type" bridge span, with concrete deck, glass curtain walls and metal or membrane roofing, aligned over the existing Highway 401 footings. . Terminal buildings at both ends of the bridge, accessed by stairs and elevator. . South terminal building on the GO-Train site between the bus loop and the platform. . North terminal building either within the Pickering Parkway road allowance or on the adjacent Pickering Town Centre (PTC) lands. . Bridge directly connected to, or integrated with, an office tower to be constructed by others on the PTC lands. . Barrier free design incorporating green technologies. Updated Cost Estimates A draft Structural Report was prepared by TSH as part of the environmental assessment work. The Structural Report examined different structural design alternatives, looked at the costs associated with these alternatives, and recommended a preferred design. Three structural alternatives were evaluated: (i) box design, (ii) trapezoidal design and (iii) arch design. The trapezoidal design was selected as the preferred option because of its improved aesthetics compared with the less attractive (and slightly cheaper) box design. The more aesthetic arch design was not selected as it was the most expensive to construct, and because it would have required a strengthening of the existing footings within the Highway 401 allowance. The preferred bridge concept is shown below. Additional detailing and architectural enhancements will be incorporated through the detailed design phase. Report CAO 01-07 January 22, 2007 Subject: Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge Project C05 Page 5 In terms of cost, the total cost of the project has risen appreciably since it was first envisioned a number of years ago. TSH now estimates the total cost of the bridge to be in the $7-8 million range, as shown in the following table. Component Updated Cost Estimate Bridge Superstructure $2,350,000 Bridge Foundations $1,170,000 Bridge Architecture $1,650,000 Tower Buildings $860,000 Traffic and Track Control $700,000 Contingencies $1,007,000 TOTAL $7,737,000 -- The initial cost estimate was in the range of $3-4 million. The initial estimate was based on an earlier bridge concept that was prepared in the 1990s at the time the footings were designed and placed in the Highway 401 allowance. The earlier design work was for a much more utilitarian bridge structure than the options now being considered through the environmental assessment process. This accounts for some of the cost increases. Other reasons for the increased costs include: . More detailed design allowing for a more accurate identification of costs for key structural components. . Rising labour and construction costs for materials such as steel, concrete and petroleum based products (costs have risen between 10 and 40 percent over the past year alone). . Architectural and other design enhancements including improved and more extensive glazing, a more architecturally elaborate cross-section, fully enclosed terminal buildings, and the incorporation of sustainable building materials and technologies (e.g. solar and/or wind). . Staging and related costs associated with Highway 401 traffic controls and C.N. Rail corridor protection measures. Staff is very concerned about these cost increases given the City's current financial situation. The bridge project cannot proceed beyond the design phase without the support and assistance of our partners. In 2007, staff will be investigating potential Report CAO 01-07 C att,ject: Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge Project January 22, 2007 Page 6 additional funding opportunities. As well, through the design process, TSH will be undertaking a process of Value Engineering to investigate and establish potential areas of cost efficiencies that could help reduce project costs. Office Tower Update Pickering Town Centre and 20 Vic Management (the management company for the shopping mall) have been kept appraised of the environmental assessment and design work on the pedestrian bridge. Concerns raised earlier in the process about parking overflow on the PTC lands have been resolved. The City's ESR now includes a very clear statement on the City's intention to only build the bridge in association with the office tower (not in advance of the tower). "It is the City's intention to coordinate the construction of the bridge with the construction (by others) of an office tower on the abutting Pickering Town Centre lands to the north. This coordination will ensure a seamless transition between the bridge and the office tower, and allow for the appropriate parking enforcement measures to be put in place to control unwanted and illegal GO Transit commuter parking on the Pickering Town Centre lands." To facilitate the office development, staff have been working closely with Pickering Town Centre / 20 Vic Management in marketing and promoting the office tower. We understand that jjBarnicke has been retained as the real estate agents for the office tower and that a promotional billboard advertising the tower will be erected shortly in the southerly parking lot facing Highway 401. Proposed 2007 Work Proqram The following work program is proposed for 2007. 1. Background Investigations . Obtain MOE approval of the environmental assessment . Complete soils investigation and topographic survey work . Review site utilities information (gas, water sanitary, storm and electricity) . Confirm GO, MTO and CNR clearance, location and elevation requirements . Prepare preliminary staging plan for MTO review 2. Detailed Design and Approvals . Assess options and determine type and extent of green technologies to be incorporated into the bridge design Report CAO 01-07 January 22, 2007 G07 Subject: Highway 401 Pedestrian Bridge Project Page 7 . Prepare drawings and other background information for submission to GO, MTO, CNR and TRCA, and undertake necessary follow-up work to obtain agency approvals . Review design drawings for PTC office tower (when available) to ensure appropriate integration of bridge and tower . Enter into any required agreements with PTC and GO to allow construction of north and south terminal buildings . Prepare final design drawings and cost estimates Based on this work program, the City will not be in a position to consider bridge construction until the spring of 2008 at the earliest, subject to available funding. Timing of construction would also be dependent on the receipt of all necessary approvals and agreements, and the timing of construction of the northerly abutting office tower. Prepared By: Approved I Endorsed By: Tomas J. Quinn Chief Administrative Officer - Thomas Me ymu Division Head ( Corporate Projects & Policy TM Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City g9ldncil /' // ,,:< .