The construction and furnishing of Mt. Blakiston House, the University of Lethbridge’s newest residence building, was made possible thanks in part to the skilled trades and services offered by a variety of Lethbridge companies.
Approximately 50 per cent of the $27.5 million cost to construct Mt. Blakiston House was paid to local subcontractors and goods and service companies to ensure a timely and quality completion of a building that will house many of the U of L’s second- and third-year students.
“As you can appreciate, a project of this size can be complicated,” says Brian Sullivan, Project Manager. “While the construction was contracted to Stuart Olson Dominion, we are fortunate in Lethbridge to have many high-quality companies and retailers to participate in projects like Mt. Blakiston House.”
Over 40 local companies were used for various aspects of the project including electrical work, painting, flooring, masonry, air conditioning, heating, irrigation and the supply of appliances and furniture.
The University of Lethbridge receives dedicated funding envelopes for deferred maintenance projects annually. Many local companies are being used in what has been a significant summer renovation season. Additionally, many local companies were contracted to repair damage caused by the flood that occurred on campus in June.
The Mt. Blakiston House project is the largest completed since Markin Hall was opened in 2010. The
U of L is now in the midst of planning the Destination Project, which will include new science facilities, a new utility center and a retrofit of the University’s original building, University Hall.
“The Destination Project will be the largest undertaken by the U of L since University Hall was built,” says Sullivan. “We are currently using some local companies to help us through the planning process, and there is no doubt the local economic impact of that project will be noticed for many years.”