School construction to cost $30M

New joint public and Catholic schools in the Willowgrove neighbourhood will likely cost $30.6 million — slightly less than budgeted.

The Greater Saskatoon Catholic school board Monday approved the awarding of a $30.6-million construction contract to Ontario firm EllisDon Corp. for the construction of Holy Family Catholic school, Willowgrove public school and a new childcare centre in the northeastern Saskatoon neighbourhood. The price does not include GST.

“We’re anxious to start with construction and hope to be actually underway by the end of July,” said Don Lloyd, superintendent of administrative services for the Catholic school division.

Award of the tender still requires approval of the provincial education ministry and Saskatoon Public Schools’ board of education. The public school board is set to choose a bidder at a Friday meeting.

“I am very excited to be awarding this tender, and to tell the folks in Willowgrove, and to hopefully see some work on site in very short order,” public board chair Ray Morrison said Tuesday. Morrison’s ward includes Willowgrove.

Lloyd said the cost of the project is “substantially lower” than the division estimated. The Catholic division had budgeted $15.5 million for construction of Holy Family, but the cost will be $910,000 less. Six companies bid on the project, Lloyd said, which helped keep the price competitive.

Although separately operated, Holy Family and Willowgrove schools will be under one roof, along with a new day care for 50 children, which will be run by a not-for-profit third party.

The schools will face Stensrud Road, just north of Willowgrove Boulevard. Holy Family will be located on the north end, with Willowgrove school on the south end.

The provincial government initially announced money for the new schools in spring 2010. The divisions had initially hoped to open the schools by fall 2013, but that has been pushed back to fall of 2014 after planning took longer than anticipated.