On Dec. 31, 2016, Integrated Team Solutions (ITS) and the City of Saskatoon announced the Saskatoon Civic Operations Centre (COC) successfully reached substantial completion. The new facility relocates the Saskatoon’s Transit Operations and houses the city’s first permanent Snow Management Facility. The hub was completed two weeks ahead of schedule and on budget, officially opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on December 13.
Saskatoon COC is LEED-certified and designed to be comprised of several buildings and facilities. The 450,000 square foot transit facility is a full-service shop, providing convenient vehicle maintenance service using the transmission shop, inspection pits, body shops and fuelling stations. In addition, the facility will be able to accommodate 224 buses so they will never be stored outside.
ITS, a consortium led by Fengate Real Asset Investments and EllisDon Capital, was presented the contract by Saskatoon City Council to design, build, finance and maintain the facilities of the Saskatoon Civic Operations Centre under a 25-year contract. The ITS team includes EllisDon Design Build Inc. as design builder and Engie Services Inc. as facility manager.
“EllisDon is pleased to have partnered with ITS and the City of Saskatoon to bring the design and construction of this project to a successful conclusion,” said Michael Kazda, VP and area manager of EllisDon, in a press release. “Safely delivering a quality project, ahead of time and on budget, requires a tremendous team effort that everyone associated with the new Civic Operations Centre project should be proud of.”
The Snow Management Facility, operated by the City’s Roadways and Operations Division, includes a 14-acre pad that will be able to store up to one million cubic metres of snow. The facility also includes a storm water and meltwater management pond with inlet sand, oil and grit separators to protect groundwater from contamination.
“The Civic Operations Centre is a tremendous step forward for our Transit Operations and for snow and ice management in our city,” said Mayor Charlie Clark, City of Saskatoon. “Our Transit Operations outgrew the old bus barns long ago, and our staff has been making do in cramped facilities for many years. This LEED-certified facility, built ahead of schedule and on budget, has perfect timing as we prepare to modernize transit in Saskatoon.”
Both facilities are expected to be fully operational in January 2017.
