The City of Montreal has hired Pomerleau to manage the renovation of its historic city hall, a responsibility that typically falls to the city itself, CBC reports.
The $12.8-million contract was awarded to on Oct. 17 morning during the city’s weekly executive committee meeting. The overall project cost may reach $140 million or more.
Pomerleau will be responsible for making sure costs are respected, as well as the schedule, construction methods and the quality of the work being done, according to a summary of the committee’s decision, released after the meeting.
The city commission that examines public contracts came out in favour of the contract, but called it “unprecedented” and said the city would have to pay close attention to how the work plays out, the broadcaster reported.
“It will be interesting to verify whether this approach will make the city more agile in awarding contracts,” the commission wrote in its evaluation of Pomerleau’s bid.
The renovations are expected to take three years to complete and involve an extensive overhaul of the building’s interior.
The commission was called to look into the company’s submission because its price exceeded internal estimates by 22.6 per cent. Only one other company responded with a valid submission, Group Decarel, which proposed a $15.8 million budget.
The overall renovations costs have increased from $87 million in September 2017 to a more recent $115 million estimate. However, the costs could reach $140 million.
