By Chad Ingram

Woodbridge’s Maram Building Corp. will construct the addition to the Algonquin Highlands township office along North Shore Road.

Councillors awarded the contract for a 124-square-metre addition and renovations to the building during their April 7 meeting.

“They not only were the lowest bid but they had the quickest finish time” chief administrative officer Angie Bird told councillors.

There were six bids on the job ranging from Maram’s $569000 plus taxes to the highest bid of nearly $730000 plus taxes.

With unrecoverable HST the project – which includes more workspace for staff as well as accessible washrooms and front entranceway – will cost the township $580000.

Council included $512000 for the project in the 2016 budget and while the bid is nearly $70000 over that budgeted amount Bird said some savings could be realized in other areas.

The township also has more than $32000 in accessibility funding for the project.

Construction is to begin shortly the company’s target completion date Aug. 31.

Algonquin Highlands council meetings for June July and August will take place at the Stanhope Firefighters’ Community Hall as council chambers will be used as a workspace for displaced staff during construction.

Deputy-reeve Liz Danielsen asked if landscaping was included in the bid price.

Bird said paving was in the contract but not landscaping.

“I think that’s something we’re going to have to look at after” she said adding there may also be changes to the parking lot configuration at the office following construction.