An artist's rendering of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts to be built in downtown St. Catharines.

Brock University officials announced Friday they have opened all six bids received from amongst the 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.

Tom Saint-Ivany, Brock’s Interim Vice-President of Administration, said, “As a general statement, the bids exceed our $26 million construction budget by approximately $6 million.”

He said 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.