July 27, 1999
(Executive Council)

The following is being released at the request of the Civic Centre Construction Board:

$6 million construction tender awarded for Civic Centre

St. John's City Council has approved the award of the first tender for construction of the St. John's Civic Centre. While work on the site has been ongoing since last fall, all work to this point has been for site preparation. Today's announcement is for the concrete and related work for the spectator facility, located on the north side of New Gower Street. The tender was awarded to Olympic Construction Ltd. of St. John's and is valued at $6,059,350.

"Occupancy rates in the accommodation sector of Newfoundland and Labrador are the fastest growing in the country," said Lloyd Matthews, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs. "The civic centre project represents an important piece of infrastructure and will bring expanded economic benefits to both the city and the province."

Mayor Andy Wells said: "I am pleased with the continued progress being made on the project and I am looking forward to seeing this work begin shortly. This tender represents the first in a series of contracts that will see the facility take shape over the coming months." Civic Centre Construction Board Chairman, Peter Kennedy, stated that the next tender package for similar work on the Convention Centre component of the project, on the south side of New Gower Street will be called in the next few weeks.

Media contact:

Ron Penney, City of St. John's, (709) 576-8561, or
John Doody, Municipal and Provincial Affairs, (709) 729-1983.

1999 07 27         10:40 a.m.