Prep work has begun for a new running track, FIFA-quality artificial soccer pitch with covered seating for 1,000 spectators, and an indoor high-performance training facility with administrative, multi-purpose and storage space for the 2025 Canada Summer Games in the Westerland Road area of St. John’s, N.L.
Known as the Fortis Canada Games Complex, the venue will be completed in phases with the final work being finished in April 2025 — several months before the city welcomes 4,600 athletes and coaches for the August event.
“The project is off to a great start and we are currently ahead of schedule on a number of items,” says Tonya Knopp, manager of facility engineering in the planning, engineering and regulatory services department at the City of St. John’s.
“The city and the Canada Games Host Society are very excited about the new Fortis Canada Games Complex and the legacy that these new amenities will leave behind for the community.”
Temporary fencing has been installed around the perimeter of the construction site and erosion and sediment control measures are in place. Heavy equipment is onsite and a civil contractor is presently doing earthmoving work, installing a retaining wall system and working on site services in the area of the track and soccer turf.
“The majority of the work is currently mass cut and fill and getting both outdoor event areas prepped for sub-grade and ready for installation of surfaces next spring,” explains Knopp.
The $34-million venture is a design-build project. Lindsay Construction has been awarded the contract. It is being funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan. Costs are being equally shared between the federal and provincial governments and City of St. John’s.
Since spring, the focus has mainly been on the design and issuing detailed construction plans and specifications to allow construction to begin.
The procurement methodology for the project had to be tweaked because the traditional design, bid, build approach and other procurements models weren’t really applicable as the venue had to be completed within a two-year window.
“However,” notes Knopp, “we have been fortunate to be able to get a head start on the civil site works.”
Prep work started on the project May 1. Most of the time has been spent on getting the outdoor event areas prepped for installation of surfaces for the eight-lane, Class II IAAF, 400-metre track with a 13-millimetre poured-in-place rubberized surface from Beynon, and new soccer pitch with a Vertex surface. It will be only the second such turf east of Quebec. The plan is to have the track and pitch finished next year.
Once the milestones set for 2023 have been completed, the construction team will then shift towards building the new indoor training building, starting with excavation for footings, foundations and walls. The 25,000-square-foot building will be a primary connector between the track and soccer pitch.
The training building will be a two-storey structure with an athletics training area, 78-metre sprint lanes, a long jump pit, pole vault and high-jump areas, a multi-purpose room, offices, storage space and locker rooms, as well as general strength and conditioning areas.
The building will also have gender-neutral and accessible washrooms both indoors and outdoors, elevators, administrative offices, a first-aid room, and geothermal heating and cooling as well as electrical heating.
The complex will have a plaza with provincial plaques and flags and an awards area, bike storage area, EV charging stations, and a recycling and garbage area. It will be connected to the community’s shared-use path.
It is designed to meet LEED Silver certification standards and will serve as a centre of excellence legacy facility for the training, coaching and refereeing of amateur sport development in the province.
The athletics facility is near Memorial University (MUN) and next to the Aquarena. Students who attend the university will be able to use the facilities after the event.
“MUN has never had a home field to play soccer games, and track and field and distance running athletes will now also have access to amenities right on campus,” says Knopp.
“This will be great for athlete development in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The building will allow for winter training to take place and the multi-purpose room will be used as a teaching space to advance coaching, refereeing and athlete training development.”
The project is on schedule and budget and Knopp says contractors don’t foresee any challenges on the horizon.
“Material prices have been locked in through the design-build award. Long lead items have been identified and contracts are in place with vendors for these items.
“Labour has been an issue since COVID, but this project is high profile so there is a lot of interest in being a part of it, so to date, and looking forward, we don’t foresee any risk with labour shortages.”
St. John’s was the sole bidder for the 2025 Games. The city was named the host in 2021. It will be the third time the province has hosted the Games.
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