Bird Construction has been named as the newest member of a consortium tasked to design, build, finance and maintain a 129,000 sq. ft. facility in Kincardine for Bruce Power.
The project team is comprised of Concert Infrastructure Fund, Concert Realty Services, Stantec Consulting Inc., and Stonebridge Financial Corporation. Bird’s addition to the team was announced Dec. 14.
Under the leadership of Concert Infrastructure, the contractor is designing and building a structure with two levels of office spaces that could accommodate 500 workers, and a warehouse training space.
Bird’s scope of work also includes developing the 7.1-ha. site. It is responsible for landscaping, as well as constructing a stormwater pond, parking facility, and an extension of a municipal road into the property. The total cost of construction remains unannounced but its completion is anticipated by early 2019.
“This project win is a good example of the success of both the strategic diversification efforts of our industrial work program and entrance into the nuclear market,” said Bird CEO and president Ian Boyd.
The new facility is critical to the Bruce Power Major Component Replacement projects, which support the provincial government’s long-term energy plan. It involves refurbishing six of the energy provider’s eight reactors from 2020 to 2033, starting with Unit 6. If successful, the initiative will extend the life of the Bruce Power site to 2064.
Currently, Bruce Power is the country’s biggest public-private partnership. From its base in Bruce County, it generates low-cost nuclear energy to provide for 30 per cent of Ontario’s electricity needs.