Quebec will move forward with the replacement of the roof and technical ring of the Olympic Stadium. Details of the project will be revealed this Monday at a press conference in Montreal.
Details of the agreement between the Olympic Park and the consortium selected to carry out the project – led by Pomerleau and Canam Group – will be presented Monday morning during a press briefing. Minister Caroline Proulx will make the announcement in the company of the President and CEO of the Olympic Park Michel Labrecque.
The costs of the work should be around $750 million, reported The Press last December.
The terms of the contract discussed would provide for sharing the risks of cost overruns between the Olympic Park and the consortium. This type of public contract is rare in Quebec, but is gaining popularity in Ontario.
Just last week, a source informed of discussions between the government and the consortium mentioned costs of around $600 million, to which must be added a provision for risks of around $150 million. The government has neither confirmed nor denied this information.
Work already in progress
Exploratory work has forced the closure of the heart of the Olympic Stadium since mid-December. The objective of this work carried out by the consortium was to know the state of the structure in order to finalize its offer. An announcement concerning the government’s decision to move forward with the project was therefore expected.
“The exploratory work that will be carried out includes design, engineering and architectural analyses, surveys, corings, inspections, as well as preventive maintenance of the drainage system of the enclosure,” indicated the Olympic Park by press release in December.
This closure disrupted several major events that were to take place at the venue in the spring, including CF Montreal training sessions and matches, and the Electric Auto Show.
The technical ring needs to be replaced
The need to replace the technical roof ring was announced without fanfare last summer. This immense concrete tube, located at the top of the concrete structure, constitutes the keystone of the monument.
“It is imperative for the replacement of the roof to also change the technical ring. This is a request from the Régie du logement du Québec (RBQ), said Minister Caroline Proulx in a telephone interview with The Press. The RBQ standards have changed, the calculation of bearing loads has changed. »
“It’s an obligation that was made to us by the Régie du logement du Québec,” she added.
Problems with the Stadium roof have been in the news for more than 30 years.
The first canvas, retractable and installed in 1987, tore the year following its installation. It had to be removed 10 years later.
The second canvas was installed in 1998 and also tore the year after its installation, which led to a snowfall in the Stadium.
It is this roof that has covered the Stadium ever since, but more than 12,000 repairs have had to be carried out over the years.
Since 2002, the owner of the Stadium has been more or less actively seeking to build a third roof. In 2017, the government of Philippe Couillard announced a new roof for 2023, which represented a bill of 250 million.
In 2020, only the consortium formed by Pomerleau and Canam had shown interest in the design of the next stadium roof, while the Olympic Park hoped to attract at least three competing teams. At the time, the organization mentioned an inauguration of the roof in 2024. No new date has been mentioned since.
With the collaboration of Tommy Chouinard and Philippe Teisceira-Lessard, The Press