Construction Notice: Hastings Street reconstruction - Phase One

Hastings Street requires road improvements in its entirety from Almond Street north to Wedsworth Street, per conditions imposed through a development agreement application regarding 271 Merritt Street (2017). The improvements shall be completed through coordination with the City, although under a private contract between a Developer and private Contractor. Phase 1 includes Hastings Street’s reconstruction from Almond Street north to Walnut Lane, to accommodate redevelopment proposals on the west side of Hastings Street.  

A key plan is provided below applicable to Phase 1:

The Developer has awarded Phase 1 of this contract to Silverline Group Inc. and the works are tentatively scheduled to commence beginning the week of February 6, 2023, weather pending. The underground servicing and primary road works are expected to take approximately 18 weeks to complete, whereas secondary servicing construction including final restorations (weather dependent) are typically completed after building construction. Final restorations for Phase 1 of Hastings Street are expected prior to the completion of building construction.

The required improvements to Hastings Street include:

• New road reconstruction, replacement of existing water main sections, new storm sewer and catch basin installations, new curb and gutter, sidewalks, boulevard improvements with trees, streetlight improvements and sanitary sewer realignments and replacement of appurtenances on both Hastings Street and Chestnut Street, east of Hastings Street towards Merritt Street.

Every effort will be made to maintain vehicle access to abutting properties and to minimize inconveniences to businesses, residents, and pedestrians. Construction inspectors from the Engineering Consultant (Upper Canada Consultants) will be present during construction activities and can be approached for information, however with safety requirements always to be kept in mind.

To protect both the construction workers and the public and complete the works in a safe and timely manner, temporary detours and road closures may be required during certain construction operations, although are not necessarily expected. These detours and closures will be minimized as much as possible, and although the contractor will provide traffic control, signage, and personnel, traffic may be unavoidably congested at times. The Contractor will co-ordinate to ensure Emergency Services always have access to properties throughout construction. Please contact the City if you have specific accessibility requirements, or concerns that you may foresee with these existing access points. Although the Contractor is always required to provide safe pedestrian access, care should also be exercised by the Public when walking through existing construction zones, if absolutely necessary.

The Contractor is also required to allow for parking as much as practical during construction. Due to the scope of the work involved, on-street parking may be restricted during various stages of construction and may not be possible on Hastings Street during working hours from the intersection of Almond Street north to Walnut Lane, and/or on a portion Chestnut Street itself. Residents and Business Owners are asked to please park in their driveways as much as possible, or find alternative parking on adjacent streets when required, during construction hours only.

Pre-construction Inspections

Representatives from OZA Inspections Ltd. have already contacted private properties in proximity to the project area, to arrange for inspections of the interiors and exteriors of those properties. The purpose of these inspections is to determine and document the extent of any damages that may currently exist to the buildings/properties prior to the commencement of construction. This information can then be used to determine the extent of the Contractor's responsibilities in the unlikely event that damages occur to buildings/properties during construction.

Waste Management During Construction

As a result of construction in certain areas, it may at times be difficult for waste management vehicles to collect your waste. Given the extent of the areas proposed for improvements, it is not likely that this will be affected, and waste management vehicles will be dispatched regularly.

If, however there is no access for waste management vehicles to pick-up waste due to construction, or some other related unforeseeable event, please contact us to coordinate with the Contractor to relocate your garbage to a more convenient area for pickup, prior to the end of the previous workday before pick-up date. We thank you for your cooperation in this regard.

Water Services Disruptions

At points during construction, watermains may need to be shut down, however temporarily. This must be done for contractor crews to install new water mains and/or service lines and make new connections / replacements. You will be notified at least one day in advance of all planned water shut offs. There is also the possibility for emergency unplanned water shut offs. These can happen when watermains burst or when service lines are ruptured due to the old conditions of some mains. Crews will restore your water service as quickly as possible during these circumstances. For both planned and unplanned water shut offs, once water service is restored, we recommend running a cold water tap for 5 minutes.

Restorations

Residents should note that at some locations, private owners may have installed irrigation/sprinkler systems and other private appurtenances within City boulevard portions. The City-owned boulevard is the part of a road allowance from the back of curb or sidewalk to the private property street lines. The boulevards may or may not include a sidewalk. Such irrigation/sprinkler installations and other private appurtenances are prone to damages during maintenance or renewal of underground infrastructure and new utility installations. The City cannot be held liable for damages to private works installed in the City-owned boulevards without the City’s approval. Therefore, residents are requested to identify and clearly mark any private irrigation/sprinkler systems and private appurtenances prior to construction. The Consultant’s Construction Inspector will indicate if any marked systems conflict with the proposed works.

The Contractor will also be installing new sod or hydro-seed in some locations and would ask for your cooperation in keeping this sod or hydro-seed watered during fair/dry weather conditions if the Contractor may not be available to do so. Damages to boulevards and/or driveway aprons (concrete/asphalt/gravel etc.) due to construction will be restored prior to the project’s completion. If your boulevard or driveway is damaged during construction and is not restored, please contact us at your earliest convenience.

Project Contacts

We look forward to working with and accommodating you, the Developer, and the Developers Contractor to complete this project in a professional and timely manner. We understand that construction and development can be a lengthy and frustrating process and is very much dependent on weather and current trade worker schedules. If you have any questions, or require further information prior to or during construction, please contact the Consultant’s Inspectors on site, or one of the Project Team members identified below:

The City of St. Catharines recognizes that construction can be an inconvenience to residents and business owners. Every effort will be made to minimize any inconveniences and to carry out the work with as few interruptions to services as possible. We thank you for your continued co-operation and patience. It is greatly appreciated.