Brockville City Council will decide Tuesday whether to approve up to $9.2 million as the city’s share of replacing the aging Centeen Park main pump station, a project more than 10 years in the making.
The total cost to replace the 1963-built wastewater pump station is about $33.7 million. The province is covering up to $23.2 million through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program – Health and Safety Water Stream. That leaves Brockville responsible for about $9.1 million in eligible costs, plus additional expenses like HST, bringing the city’s total share to roughly $9.2 million.
The provincial funding was announced January 27 by Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. Clark said the project will protect the St. Lawrence River and support new housing and economic growth.
A staff report from Peter Raabe, director of engineering and infrastructure services, and Lynda Ferguson, director of finance and IT services, recommends council combine money from the wastewater reserve with debt financing to pay the city’s share. The wastewater reserve is expected to have about $5.4 million by the end of 2026.
Council previously chose a no-frills design for the pump station after public consultation showed a preference for a costlier “Sail” look. Mayor Matt Wren said at the time he could not justify spending an extra $3 million on a curved roof. Design changes later added about $132,864 to the engineering contract with J.L. Richards to meet building code updates, lower flow rates, and reduce visual impacts.
The vote takes place at Tuesday’s council meeting, where councillors will weigh the city’s largest infrastructure investment in years and whether to accept the recommended funding mix.
