Cornwall will go ahead with designing two major components of its municipal works yard, even though that part of the project is expected to go nearly $9 million over budget.

City council saw the early designs for the administration building and multi-use garage for the $32 million multi-year Ontario Street redevelopment plan – an exercise that started in 2016.

Consultant J.L. Richards expects the administration office and garage to cost $25.3 million to build instead of the $16.6 million budgeted – an $8.7 million overrun. That estimate could go 15 per cent either way.

Spokesman Lucas Busch acknowledged it was a “significant increase” brought on by a number of factors including inflation, building costs that are outrunning the rate of inflation and budgeting by the city that wasn’t accurate because it was calculated on area and not design elements.

Some councillors flat out did not support going ahead and wanted a review while others held their nose believing the cost will never go down and the city would save money on maintenance costs of old buildings.

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