Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling

Additional Consultant Fees for Design Work

The Works Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (December 24, 1999) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services:

Purpose:

To request authorization for additional design fees in the amount of $237,565.00 including G.S.T. for Cole Sherman & Associates Ltd. to accommodate design changes to reflect Council's amendments to the Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling and complete the design work for the project.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Funds have been allocated in Capital Account No. TRN026, as part of the 2000 - 2004 Capital Budget Estimates.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that additional design fees in the amount of $237,565.00 be authorized for Cole Sherman & Associates Ltd. to complete the design for the Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project.

Background:

On December 18, 1996, the former Metropolitan Toronto Council approved the Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling at an estimated cost of $39,630,000.00. Subsequently, on March 26, 1997, the former Metropolitan Toronto Council authorized the retention of Cole Sherman/Morrison Hershfield to carry out the detailed design and public consultation for the Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project at a cost not to exceed $1,212,150.00. Council further authorized construction supervision fees estimated to be $1,091,475.00 for a total estimated assignment to Cole Sherman of $2,303,650.00. A copy of the authority is attached. A substantial amount of the design work had been completed when the project was deferred by the new City of Toronto Council in 1998.

At that time, design work had already been completed for the advance rail relocation and detour contracts.

On June 9, 1999, City Council endorsed the Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project as originally approved by the former Metropolitan Toronto Council, with additional recommendations and modifications, and directed staff to reinitiate the project immediately.

Comments:

The design work for the project is proceeding at a rapid pace in order to minimize emergency repairs to the structure and to fulfil the commitments made to the community about the construction staging schedule. Contracts for upgrading the detour road along Commissioners Street and some rail relocation work just east of the Don Roadway have been awarded and work on these contracts has commenced. The main dismantling contract has been scheduled for tender in January 2000, with work to commence in March or April 2000.

Due to the delayed decision to proceed with the dismantling project and the additional recommendations including the decisions to relocate the rail line, carry out traffic analysis, refine the detour design and install a noise barrier, additional design fees are required as follows:

(1) Rail Line Relocation:

The decision to relocate the rail line within the median east of Carlaw Avenue resulted in the following additional work:

- changes to the advance contract for rail relocation;

- the creation of a new staging plan;

- preparation and attendance at additional project, public and committee meetings;

- the development of a new design for the reconfiguration of the Carlaw Avenue/Lakeshore Boulevard intersection;

- conducting negotiations during 1998 with representatives of the film community, including additional work by noise consultant and development of a very detailed noise specification;

- the need to redesign the rail relocation and the associated rail signal work;

- the development of a new design for the relocation of sidewalks and bicycle pathway and planting layout in the affected areas; and

- the co-ordination of the revised street planting layout and curb locations co-ordinated with sub-grade utilities.

The cost for the design of this rail relocation work is $147,660.00 including G.S.T.

(2) Additional Urban Design Work:

The fees for Urban Design Services are higher than originally budgeted due to the following reasons:

- the scope of streetscaping increased during the preparation of the Urban Design Master Plan in 1997, as part of the detailed design undertaken by Metro. The consultative process and the Portlands Green Infrastructure Guidelines resulted in more extensive streetscaping than was envisioned in the original E.A. report, increasing by a factor of 2.9. This will result in more detailed design being done for streetscape;

- the rail relocation has required the re-drafting of the Urban Design Master plan and cross sections; and

- as part of the re-examination of the former Council approvals by the new City Council in 1998, the consultant was asked to prepare a cost estimate for the extension of the bicycle path and landscaping on the north side of Leslie Shore between Leslie and Coxwell. This activity consumed budget allocation that would have been used for detailed design.

The estimated cost for additional urban design services is $44,405.00, including G.S.T.

(3) Additional Traffic Analysis and Design for Detour:

The City required Cole Sherman & Associates Ltd. to undertake considerable additional work related to the previously approved detour traffic configuration. This resulted in additional project management, traffic re-analysis as well as changes to the Detour Contract. The additional design fee required to complete this work is $19,000.00, including G.S.T.

(4) Noise Barrier Design:

One of Council's directions is to install a noise barrier adjacent to the Toronto Film Studios. This requires further geotechnical work, noise analysis and civil design.

The estimated cost for this additional design work is $26,500.00, including G.S.T.

In summary, the total amount of additional fees required by Cole Sherman & Associates Ltd. is as follows:

Additional design work for rail relocation $147,660.00

Additional design for urban design 44,405.00

Additional traffic analysis and design for detour 19,000.00

Noise barrier design 26,500.00

Total Additional Fees (including G.S.T.) $237,565.00

__________

This request for additional fees of $237,565.00 amounts to 10.3 percent of the original authorization.

Conclusions:

In order to complete the design and contract preparation to reflect Council's amendments to the design of the Gardiner East Dismantling Project, additional fees of $237,565.00 are needed by Cole Sherman & Associates Ltd. This request is 10.3 percent of the fees already authorized by the former Metropolitan Toronto Council.

Contact:

Kathleen P. Llewellyn-Thomas, P. Eng.

Director, Engineering District 1 and 2

Technical Services

Telephone: (416) 392-8590; Fax: (416) 392-4426

E-mail: Kllewel@toronto.ca

(A copy of the attachment entitled "Retention of Consultant for Dismantling of F.G. Gardiner Expressway East - Design, Consultation and Construction Supervision" referred to in the foregoing report has been forwarded to all Members of Council with the agenda for the Works Committee meeting of January 12, 2000, and a copy thereof is on file in the office of the City Clerk.)