If you’ve driven by the G.H. Dawe Community Centre lately, you would have seen considerable progress on construction. It’s been all hands on deck during the eight-week shutdown, with interior renovations taking place within the aquatics area and child-minding spaces. We’ve added a new fully accessible change room in the aquatics space, with adjustable lift and table, and accessible washroom and shower. We also added life guard office space, a new first aid room and a bookable meeting room right off of the pool for your next special event. This has temporarily shifted the existing gym space to the corridor until the full project completion which will see an exciting new gym space on the 2^nd floor with workout equipment, a running track and studio spaces. New duct work was installed, and we completed renovations to the childminding space with the addition of a new washroom. 

Overall, we are getting close to being able to fully enclose the facility. Structural steel and precast elements on site are nearing completion and roofers are working on the roof tie-in’s as well as the new roofing over the facility. We have trades continuing rough-ins and slab preparations for the facility and ice surfaces. Block partition walls are being installed within the new spaces and work on the parking lot preparation has also happened. 

Recently, program staff at the Dawe staff got their first glimpse of the new spaces they will soon bring to life. Needless to say, they are very excited!

The building is finally starting to take shape, especially with the installation of the precast panels and structural steel components. If you have driven by the site recently, you will have seen exterior walls, stairwell walls, and some interior walls, along with the second floor structure partially completed. Rough-ins continue with the mechanical and electrical trades, and some preparation for glazing and roofing is commencing. 

We expect to have the precast and structural steel work done near the end of May, which will allow for other trades to make progress on the interior.  The contractors will be working to fully enclose and seal up the building, with new roofing, glazing and door installations. They will also start to work on the exterior steel framing details on the front of the building.

Spring is upon us on at the site, which has made for some muddy conditions at times, but progress is moving forward full steam ahead! If you have driven by site, you will see our precast panels being installed on site, along with the structural steel components. We are continuing with underground rough-ins inside the existing arena facility in preparation for the ice slab to be installed, while also completing the overhead rough-ins for the space. Our mechanical contractors, along with CANA, worked hard to complete a complex directional bore for existing sanitary services that required a unique approach to the project. This was a large undertaking and we appreciated the innovation that went into making it a success.

Foundations are now complete, and we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the precast panels which should be arriving on site this month. In preparation for installing the precast panels, we will be installing some structural steel components. In January, a significant piece of work was completed with the removal of a big precast beam in the existing front desk area. If you visit the facility, you’ll see temporary shoring posts in place in this area; these were installed to support the roof so that the beam could be demolished. A new steel beam will go in its place very soon and the temporary shoring will be removed.  We’ve also continued with electrical and mechanical rough-in work and started slab preparation for one of the new rink surfaces. The building is really starting to take shape!

The project is finally seeing the end stages of a large, complicated, complex and mostly unseen scope of work: the underground utility and site work. Although a few tasks remain to be completed and wrapped up in spring next year, our site is prepared for the building to take form. CFA concrete piles were installed over the last month and crews are now starting the foundation formwork, all of which will complete the building’s foundation system, in preparation for our precast wall system that will be arriving mid-winter. Keep your eyes peeled for the transformation that will take place on site once the precast arrives.

Underground utilities – which was an extensive piece of work required that needed to be done prior to the start of building construction – is now largely wrapped up and  the focus has turned to foundation work. Piling is in full swing and will be completed mid-November, and foundation crews have mobilized to site and are starting the foundation formwork. Crews also continue to work on the gravel parking lot surface structure installation on site, installing geotextile fabric, pit run and crushed gravel to provide a more solid structure for moving around site this winter.  Precast panels are excepted to arrive on site mid-winter and that’s when the building will really start to take form. Mechanical and electrical trade partners continue to complete rough-ins and tie-ins around the site. 

With winter quickly approaching, contractors are in high gear, taking advantage of the favourable weather conditions to get everything in place prior to freeze up. Underground utilities are nearing completion, marking the end of a large portion of work required to prepare for the new building. In October, you’ll likely catch a glimpse at our piling rig as you drive by. This project is using CFA (continuous flight auger) piling system, which is very convenient for the challenging soil conditions on site. This system drills to the specified depth of pile and then as the auger starts to come back up, pulling soil with it, concrete is pumped into the pile hole to fill the gap. After the concrete is poured to the top, a rebar cage is pushed into the pile and set in place. Once piling is completed, foundations will be formed and poured, all in preparation for the new precast panels to arrive on site early winter. Brick masons have also been on site working on some of the block work, and the mechanical and electrical trade partners continue to complete slab rough-ins and preparation work on site. This month our contractors will also be buttoning up the building to prepare for winter weather conditions.

Lots of progress continues to be seen on the G.H. Dawe Community Centre Project. If you’ve driven by recently, you may have noticed some significant changes over the last month with demolition of sections of the existing building. This is in preparation for the foundation and piling work expected to commence in the next couple of months, with precast panels expected to arrive on site early winter. Underground utility work with storm, sanitary and water lines is moving along with the intent of being fully completed by the end of September/early October. Installation of a new transformer for the facility was also just completed.

Following a closure in the summer, the facility is now open, with the exception of the arena surfaces (please check reddeer.ca for current COVID information related to facility operation).

There’s been significant progress on the project in July, and we expect that the remainder of the summer/fall will be busy on site. Here are some highlights of work underway:

• The site has been mostly stripped to the new grade elevation for the building and site area. 
• Underground utility work with storm, sanitary and water lines continues this month and likely will wrap up fully in September. As a reminder, the sports fields are closed for the remainder of the season to accommodate this work.
• The contractor is wrapping up select demolition and required abatement in the facility. 
• Large demolition activities have started on site with the hallway and dressing rooms connecting the arena and gym now fully demolished. Over the next month, demolition work with continue in the arena, which is being stripped back to the structure. 
• The teams continue to work towards foundation work this late summer so that precast can arrive late fall.

It’s been a busy few weeks for the contractors, coordinating and lining up sub trades and working on execution plans for the project to move forward and run as smoothly as possible. Lots of other work is taking place this month as well:

• Site work, site stripping and rough grading has started, with some material being hauled off site to be used at West Park Ball Diamonds for a project being completed there this summer. 
• The existing fibre line that ran through the middle of the construction site is in the process of being re-routed with new conduit and infrastructure in place. 
• Storm, sanitary and water work is expected to start middle of this month and will extend into August. As a result of this work, all sports fields will be unavailable for this season.
• Preparation is underway for some interior demolition and remediation, which will commence the middle of July. 
• The facility will fully close from July 26 to August 31.

At the end of May, the contractor mobilized zed to site, setting up office trailers and fencing around the site. The team conducted a number of site and building investigations prior to start of construction activities on site and worked to on-board a number of local trades for the start of the project. Site work is expected to start middle of June and pending approvals, the contractors will begin underground service work that will extend from June into August. At the same time as this work is taking place on the site, inside the facility demolition will begin in preparation for the project tie-ins. Any disruptions to programs and activities on the site will be communicated, and it is anticipated that programming like summer camps and fitness activities to be transitioned to another facility for the duration of interruptions.

May 2021 – Project Update:

Starting in early May, 2021, local contractors will begin to mobilize on the site, with office trailers moved into place, and safety fencing set-up. Full site preparation will begin near the end of May.

Pending approvals, the contractor will begin underground service work that will extend between June and July. At the same time as this work is taking place on the site, inside the facility demolition will begin in preparation for the project tie-ins. Any disruptions to programs and activities on the site will be communicated, and it is anticipated that programming like summer camps and fitness activities to be transitioned to another facility for the duration of interruptions. 

Renderings

G.H. Dawe Community Centre Project Site Plan (pdf)