Olde Sandwich entrance arch pegged at $303,257 to build

It will cost $303,257 to build a new arch over Sandwich Street at the eastern entrance to one of Windsor’s most historic neighbourhoods.

That’s the all-in cost for the arch that’s being proposed as part of a grand new entrance into Olde Sandwich that will also include the Tecumseh/General Brock monument in a roundabout under construction where Sandwich Street merges with University Avenue.

Facca Incorporated was the topscoring company to bid on the arch project for a fee of $188,257, including HST. The rest — $115,000 — will pay for public consultations and consultant fees to find the 14 best Sandwich stories to include on plaques at the limestone bases (plinths) of the arch, along with administration fees, utility fees and costs for archeology.

The Sandwich Town Arch “is only one part of the overall idea to create a gateway in the town centre of Sandwich,” says a city administrative report. It’s intended to welcome people and also inform them, with the plinths telling “the many heritage stories that have contributed to the fabric of what Sandwich Town is today.”

The arch will be located between Paterson and McKee parks. If council approves awarding the tender to Facca at its Oct. 16 meeting, the arch should be erected this fall, though the plaques will go up next year.

Construction of the $850,000 roundabout has been delayed significantly by the discovery of First Nation artifacts that have warranted further archeological investigation. Three to four weeks of construction are still required in order to open up the road.