Brock University officials have opened all six bids received from pre-qualified General Contractors who are seeking to build the new home of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts in downtown St. Catharines.

All bids appear to significantly exceed the University's construction budget, which was based on the design prepared by Diamond Schmitt Architects, and on the pre-tender Class "A" cost estimate prepared by cost consultants Turner & Townsend cm2r.

Brock’s Interim Vice-President of Administration, Tom Saint-Ivany, says the bids exceed the $26 million construction budget by approximately $6 million.

He says the numbers are unofficial results taken from the bids.

The architect and the project manager, PRISM Partners, will now review the bids in detail in order to help determine the next steps in the construction of the University’s 198 St. Paul Street project.