The City of Whitehorse has awarded a contract for the expansion of the administrative wing of the Whitehorse operations building.
According to a Dec. 21 statement, the first phase of a two-phase design-build project is valued at $1 million with the full contract worth up to $14 million, pending the outcome of the first phase. The project was awarded to Whitehorse-based contractor Johnston Builders.
The expansion, per the statement, is anticipated to add approximately 16,000 square feet of office space for up to 70 employees. It is “part of the city’s continued effort to manage growth and consolidate city departments. This will improve the city’s service delivery and reduce the number of city-owned and city-leased office spaces.”
The release noted that the new expansion will benefit from existing infrastructure at the operations building, which was constructed with expansion in mind.
“This further reduces the project costs and timelines associated with a project of this size,” it said.
The statement explains that the contract uses a progressive design-build approach, which is the first of its kind for the city.
The approach, it said, “provides a number of benefits to the city including early collaboration with the design team and the construction team to better manage cost and scope while reducing project risks before final pricing is fixed.”
The city said one of its strategic priorities is a focus on fiscal responsibility.
“This project is an example of future-thinking that benefits employees, improves how we deliver services and reduces the impact on taxpayers,” it said in the statement.
Contact Patrick Egwu at patrick.egwu@yukon-news.com