Mount Allison construction, renovation projects behind schedule, will cost $10M more

A major project at Sackville's Mount Allison University will not be finished until 2030, a year later than previously announced, and the cost has risen by $10 million.

The renovation of the library, construction of a new multi-sports facility, and the addition of a parking lot are now expected to cost $95 million.

The project will first see a multi-sport complex built to house the library during renovations of the current library building. Once the library is restored, the multi-sports complex will be completed for use as a gym and athletics building.

The original plan was to break ground last summer, with a goal of opening the interim library in 2026 and all construction to be completed by 2029.

Those dates have been moved back by a year to better accommodate the academic year, said university president Ian Sutherland.

"We really wanted to make sure that our timelines were lined up to ensure that there was absolutely no interruption to our students when they are here, which is primarily between late August and late April," he said.

"We also … wanted to make sure that we had extra time for the design work. So we spent a little bit more time, particularly on the library piece to make sure the design was exactly what the best undergraduate university in Canada should have as a library."

The project is now set to begin this spring.

$10M increase

The original cost of the project was $85 million, with the majority of that being for the library.

"Certainly costs go up overtime," said Sutherland. "We have a lot of contingencies built into that budget, and we are continuously evaluating those contingencies and the overall cost of course of the project."

Reid Delaney, president of Mount Allison Students' Union, said he hopes the increased cost won't trickle down to students.

"I know that the university has considered ways to make sure that if there are increases to tuition that it's as minimal as possible," he said.

The school has received $36 million from federal and provincial grants to go toward that, with the remainder being funded by donations and internal resources.

"That avenue has been very welcomed, rather than just saying this is going to be something that's going to hit our operational budget at the university, and we're going to pass those fees right on to the students," said Delaney.

Delaney says other construction projects on campus, like moving the scoreboard to the other end of the football field to make space for the new building, haven't disrupted students. He's confident the university will do the same for the overall project.

The student union president said the upgrades are much needed and will benefit students, not just now but in the future. 

"The library was built in 1970 and the athletic centre was built in 1961," he said. "And Mount Allison, it's ready for a transition into the 21st century."