January 24, 2012

Outlook strong for Windsor, Ontario construction industry

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

With an “impressive” list of projects on the books, the Windsor construction industry is looking forward to a busy year.

“We’re in good shape,” says Windsor Construction Association executive director Jim Lyons. “We’ve got quite a bit of work coming up. By late summer, we should be rocking.”

While 2011 started out strong, thanks to carry-over work under the federal Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, the pace of construction slowed later in the year in the region. Lyons expects that scenario to be reversed in 2012.

“We had a lot of manhours up front last year and then it got slow,” he said. “But this year, I think it’s going to get busy from mid-summer through the end of the season.

“At the end of the day, manhours are probably going to be pretty close to what they were last year, maybe more when the (Windsor-Essex) Parkway is factored in.”

On the heavy construction side, the $1.4 billion parkway project is expected to set record employment numbers for tradespeople in the Windsor-Essex region, among them labourers, operating engineers, rodmen and teamsters.

At the peak of construction, about 1,200 workers are expected to be on site daily.

Ground was broken last August on the 11-kilometre project, which is being delivered using an alternative finance and procurement model. The parkway is scheduled to open to traffic in the fall of 2014.

The project is being undertaken by the Windsor Essex Mobility Group, a consortium of three large infrastructure developers.

“It’s hard to say how many local contractors will be involved, though, because the subtrade packages are large,” Lyons said. “I think some of the firms are hanging their hats on being invited to bid on sub-sub tenders.”

In the institutional, commercial and industrial sphere, the list of ongoing and upcoming projects is heavily skewered towards institutional, Lyons said.

Carry-over work includes construction of engineering and medical buildings at the University of Windsor, the South West Detention Centre and the Chrysler Distribution Centre.

Probably the largest project that will get underway this year is the $77 million aquatic complex, to be undertaken by the team of EllisDon and DeAngelis Construction. Windsor city council approved construction of the centre late last year.

The project is expected to act as a catalyst for downtown revitalization.

Subject to approval by city council next month, 2012 could see a start on the first phase of the $36.7 million improvement and beautification of a 16-kilometre stretch of Riverside Drive. The project has been in the works for at least six years.

Also on the books for 2012 are a seven-storey parking garage and innovation centre at the University of Windsor, long-term care facilities and various school projects. Waiting in the wings are other campus projects at both the university and St. Clair College.

The university, for one, has unveiled plans to relocate its music and visual arts programs to the historic Armouries building downtown. It is considering converting the landmark Windsor Star building to accommodate two other programs.

Despite the preponderance of institutional projects, Lyons said there have been “some positive signs” of manufacturing sector recovery with a handful of tool and die/mold shop expansions.

Down the road, the local construction industry is looking forward to a start on the long-awaited expansion at Hotel Dieu Grace hospital. However, requests for proposals are not expected to be issued until fall 2013.

The Windsor Construction Association represents 335 firms while its sister Heavy Construction Association of Windsor has 85 member firms.

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