Some members of Prince Edward County Council are calling it sticker shock.
On Wednesday, Committee of the Whole received a report on the total cost estimate of a new long term care facility to replace the H.J. McFarland Memorial Home in Picton.
The latest cost estimate is more than $93.5 million for the 160-bed, 155,173 square foot building.
When the new home was announced in 2019, the cost was projected to be almost $62 million for a 130,000 square foot building.
“Simply because there’s such a huge backlog. There’s material shortages, material cost increases. So right now when we’re looking at 2023 potential construction start, we have to be very cognizant of the fact that numbers have gone up.”
The facility is also going to be about 25,000 square feet bigger than first announced due to new provincial guidelines allowing more space for residents to help fight the spread of illnesses like COVID.
Hard construction costs are estimated at just over $79 million with soft costs and interest accounting for another $6-plus million and another $7.9 million for furniture, fixtures and equipment.
