The Town of Newmarket is tasking Matheson Constructors to bring to life its vision of Mulock Park.
The municipality has awarded the Aurora-based company with the contract to build the project that includes a skating trail, water features, an artist studio and greenhouse conservatory. The town said construction will take place from the end of 2023 to 2025, with an anticipated opening of 2026.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said the municipality is building something “truly amazing for our community.”
"Council is excited to see Mulock Park come to life," Taylor said in a Dec. 4 news release. "We are confident this substantive investment will be greatly valued by our current residents and future generations."
The total budget for the Mulock Park works has risen to $64.2 million, according to the town. That includes both an off-site parking addition (estimated by the town at $3.2 million in February) and the adaptive reuse of the central Mulock House into a site for the Art Gallery of Ontario (estimated at $14.3 million).
The town originally estimated the cost of the park construction portion at $40 million, but the town budgeted an extra $8 million in February to address rapid construction inflation. Still, the town said it would not impact the tax rate and instead be funded through reserves and development charges.
The town said it conducted a competitive bid process and “secured the best possible market price for construction of the park."
“These tender results reflect current costs in the marketplace which have shifted drastically, due to inflation and rising construction costs,” the town said, adding that the non-residential building construction price index has increased 33 per cent since the Mulock Park budget estimate in 2021.
The town also noted that the cost of many municipal projects in the province have increased by 60 to 110 per cent.
“The construction cost for Mulock Park has increased by 39% which is a lower increase than most other municipal recreation projects,” the town said.
The town highlighted the process to get to this point, with thousands of residents offering feedback and a master plan created for aspects like public art throughout the site, a water play feature and studio for a rotating artist residency. The central Mulock House as an Art Gallery of Ontario site is also in the design stage, a separate project from the construction of the rest of the park itself. The off-site parking addition is also a separate construction project.
“Newmarket is taking another big step forward to ensure that this is one of the best places to live in all of Canada,” Taylor said.
Matheson Constructors Ltd. has undertaken major construction projects throughout York Region, the town said, including a new paramedic services station in Markham, a bus facility expansion in Richmond Hill and is currently constructing a community centre, library and district park in Vaughan.
You can stay up-to-date on the project, read updates and sign up for a milestone newsletter at heynewmarket.ca/mulockpark.
