The Lively-Walden wastewater infrastructure upgrade project totals $70 million, is already underway and slated to be completed no later than March 31, 2027.
These and various other details were released by the city through public meetings in the wake of last month’s announcement that the province is pledging $34.9 million toward the project.
Already in the city’s long-term capital campaign, city Growth and Infrastructure general manager Tony Cecutti said that the provincial funding “allows us to accelerate” the city’s existing plan.
The provincial grant, which covers half the total cost, also enacts its March 31, 2027, completion date.
“The funding does have a time limit, so in order for us to accept the funding we have to compress more of that work into a shorter period of time,” Cecutti said.
The project includes various components aimed at shoring up wastewater capacity in the Lively/Walden area to accommodate additional users, including lift station upgrades, linear infrastructure and renovations to the Walden wastewater treatment plant.
Some of this work is already underway, with $13.7 million already included within the city’s 2024-27 capital budget toward these efforts. Factoring in the $34.9 million from the province, the balance of the project is approximately $21.2 million.
The project needs to be funded through water/wastewater rates, and the city hasn’t found this missing sum yet.
“It’s just a matter of us going through with council over the subsequent years to make sure we identify how this project will be funded through those rates in future years,” Cecutti said.
During a prior finance and administration meeting, staff indicated that 2025 might be the last budget with a water/wastewater rate hike of 4.8 per cent and that a greater increase would be requested in future years.
A long-term financial plan update will be provided to city council by the end of March 2025, which Cecutti said would include the Lively-Walden wastewater infrastructure upgrade project.
The upgrades would increase capacity in the area’s wastewater system and enable the development of 585 residential units currently in pre-construction, site plan and draft approved stages, and approximately 3,300 future units on lands designated for residential development.
This project constitutes the largest amendment within the city’s 2024-27 capital budget thus far. The multi-year budget was approved in late 2023, and city council members will meet next week to update it.
“We’ve been kind of locked in what we can develop with the fact that we’ve been at this capacity,” Ward 2 Coun. Eric Benoit said during this week’s city council meeting. “By opening up this capacity it creates an amazing opportunity for the community to grow.”
Some other changes to the city’s four-year capital budgets include:
- $1.1 million toward Pioneer Manor, funded by the province, which will go toward such things as installing new windows, bathroom doors, renovating resident service kitchens and brick fascia.
- The outdoor court resurface project, approved in the 2021 capital budget at $4.38 million, requires an additional $2 million over the next four years to address rising costs. When it was initially approved, the cost to revitalize a tennis court complex with two courts was $125,000, and it’s now approximately $247,500.
- Arena chillers need to be replaced at the Chelmsford, TM Davies and Raymond Plourde arenas for a total cost of $637,347 spread over three years.
- The 14-unit seniors complex on Sparks Street has gone up in price again, requiring an additional $800,000 due to increased construction costs, bringing its new total to $8.1 million. The project was initially budgeted at $5.5 million before going up to $6.3 million, plus a contingency topping it up to $7.3 million. The lowest bid during the first round came in at $8.7 million, which prompted the city to re-tender the project as a less-expensive modular build.
- $2.9 million is needed to extend a road rehabilitation and resurfacing project to include Municipal Road 15 between 600 metres west of St. Laurent to 1.2 kilometres west of Montée Principale. The extension completes paved shoulders for the entire 17.6 kilometres of MR 15.
- $2.3 million to alter the timeline of road work for Municipal Road 55 from 250 metres east of Hillcrest to 360 metres west of Municipal Road 24 to align with the Lively-Walden wastewater infrastructure upgrade project.
Monday’s budget meeting is scheduled to take place in council chambers at Tom Davies Square beginning at 1 p.m. It can be viewed in-person or livestreamed by clicking here. Meetings have also been scheduled for the same time and location the following two days, as needed.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.