Alberta schools P3 project in trouble with only one bidder

Subscribe to our newsletter and get the latest news and business opportunities in your inbox
Alberta schools P3 project in trouble with only one bidder

The Government of Alberta may face problems to deliver 19 schools under a public private partnership. When the government recently asked for submissions to design, build, finance and maintain the facilities, only one consortium - Calgary's Gracorp Capital and Graham Construction - said it was interested.

Infrastructure Alberta spokesman Tracey Larsen said in an interview:

"There's a limited number of contractors and they're already busy with private sector and other government work. We're looking now at the options we have and we're still hoping to have those schools open by 2016."

The new P3 proposal is part of Alberta's government pledge in the last election to spend $2.4 billion to build 50 schools and modernize another 70.

Ten other schools were slated to be announced and built under public private partnerships starting next year.

The province's plan had been to choose three P3 proponents to submit a price this fall, choose a successful bidder by next summer and start construction shortly after that.

Industry experts said they have suggested the province consider conventional tendering and debt financing for the schools or dividing the P3s into smaller groups to attract more bidders. The option of continuing with only one bidder is very problematic because Alberta may not get a competitive price.

According to local sources, Clark Builders president Paul Verhesen said his firm, which is currently part of the consortium building a dozen P3 schools that are slated for completion next fall, didn't submit a proposal this time because it just doesn't have the additional capacity to take on another 19 facilities.

Steve Skelton, president of HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions North America Inc. that is the lead partner on the current P3 Alberta schools project, said he warned provincial officials their new proposal might not attract much interest:

"We had some chats and told them we thought there would be some challenges. With the industry being so buoyant, building schools on a low margin is not high on a contractor's list."

List of country news

Country news

  • October 29, 2013

    P3 Canada Fund to invest C$12 million in Quebec's waste project

    The P3 Canada Fund, a merit-based public program supporting P3 infrastructure projects, has announced an investment of up to C$12 million in support of the construction of the Regional County Municipality of Haute-Yamaska's sorting and waste treatment centre. Read more
  • October 30, 2013

    Ontario issues RFPs to shortlisted bidders for new children's treatment centres

    Infrastructure Ontario and ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development have released a request for proposals to the three teams shortlisted to design, build and finance new children's treatment centres in Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville. Read more
  • October 31, 2013

    Brookfield closes second infrastructure fund at US$7 billion

    Brookfield Asset Management Inc., announced yesterday that it held the final close on Brookfield Infrastructure Fund II with equity commitments totaling US$7 billion, creating a global fund that will invest in infrastructure, with a focus on transportation, renewable power, utilities, and energy assets in North and South America, Europe and Australasia. Read more
  • November 01, 2013

    Forum Equity Partners signs P3 for York University

    Forum Equity Partners Inc., the Canadian infrastructure development and investment firm, and Campus Suites Inc., an international student housing development company, have formed a consortium, the Forum York Development Corporation (FYDC), that has concluded a definitive agreement with York University to design, build, finance, maintain and operate (DBFMO) a new student housing and mixed use project on the Keele Campus of Toronto's York University. Read more
  • November 04, 2013

    Ontario region opens tender for waste-to-energy facility P3

    The Region of Peel, in Southern Ontario, Canada, Read more

Share this news

Join us

In order to get full access to News section, you must have a full subscription. You can check all the benefits of becoming a member and purchase a subscription on our membership page.