by Glenn Taylor
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Apr 18/97) - Reports that the town's new recreation complex will cost $6.5 million to complete are false, according to the project manager.

Council almost called the project to a halt last month after a town estimate put the final tab for the arena at $6.5 million. Council had agreed in January to limit spending to $6.2 million.

Mark Turpin of Tetlit'Zheh Construction, the job's lead contractor, said the town's assessment is flawed. Turpin said the actual costs of completion will be $6.2 million as previously agreed.

Turpin said the town's system of budgeting costs produced a string of errors. He said the town made double-entries of costs, in fact charging twice for work that had already been budgeted for. The town also added equipment such as bleachers to the budget, although they were not originally budgeted for in the design, and should have been budgeted separately.

Turpin said he's confident the arena and community centre will be completed June 29. The project was originally scheduled for completion last December, but Turpin said a string of design changes and the removal and replacement of a boiler system set construction back considerably.

Turpin said despite the changes, the contractor is "fast-tracking" the job to completion. "I'd love nothing more than to have a crew of 60 working on site," he said, but the changes prevented that.