Work on completing the second soccer pitch at Blackburn Park will begin right away.
The city recently awarded Blackburn Excavating Ltd. the $493,000 contract to do the construction and development work for the soccer pitch as well as the construction of phase one of the Life Trail System which, when complete, will include an outdoor exercise station and pedestrian pathway.
“This includes drainage, irrigation, as well as the Life Trail park… the actual construction of the trail,” said engineering and public works director Rob Niewenhuizen. “The overall budget for the project is $698,000. That includes engineering, geotechnical work, also the purchase of the new Life Trail equipment and the completion of the Life Trail pad area… so that would be separate and there will be another report coming to council with a request to purchase that equipment.”
Blackburn Excavating was one of six companies, including two others from Salmon Arm, to bid on the project. The winning contractor’s bid came in the lowest, and their proposal was chosen following a review by the city’s project manager, Gentech Engineering, in consultation with city staff.