Foundation work expected to begin in May
As the situation around COVID-19 continues to evolve, it does so amidst change and uncertainty. Thanks to our partners who share the vision for enhanced child mental health services, we are very pleased to announce that construction of Calgary’s new Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health continues to forge ahead to help kids and families in our community. With enhanced safety measures in place, progress on the build moves steadily ahead.
From the day they were awarded the construction management contract for the new Centre, the team at Stuart Olson knew this project was going to be a special experience.
As Stuart Olson’s project manager for the Centre, Stephanie Laing can see a heightened sense of pride among all who are working on the build every day.
"Trades are also telling us that this is a project they want to get behind. It means something to people." — Stephanie Laing, Stuart Olson Project Manager
“It’s easy in our line of work to just focus on details like dimensions and timelines,” says Laing. “When we started this project, as a team, we took stock of what we were building and made a point of remembering why it’s so important. Trades are also telling us that this is a project they want to get behind. It means something to people,” she says.
“In an industry that’s not known to be too open about our feelings, it’s nice to see the conversation changing. People are talking about how their family or friends have dealt with mental health challenges and how they want to help.”
Since the groundbreaking celebration at the end of November, Laing says that steady and significant progress continues on the construction site.
In light of COVID-19, and to ensure all operations continue in a safe and healthy manner, the company has enacted a range of measures including mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) for all workers, enhanced sanitation, social distancing guidelines during work hours as well as breaks, and no-contact thermal screening of all workers entering the site.
Deep services work was started in the fall and will resume again in the spring. January saw the attention shift to the installation of the temporary shoring of the hill in preparation for excavation. Hundreds of loads of dirt have been hauled from the property to accommodate the “reverse walkout” design of the building.
A high-water table and the extreme winter conditions in January presented some construction challenges, which were proactively and successfully met. It is anticipated that foundation work will begin in the next month. Tenders for the building envelope, structural steel, mechanical and electrical were closed mid-March.
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