By a 7-2 count, a $5.2-million renovation of the 2nd Avenue parkade won city council's approval on Monday night.
The total represents a $2.4-million jump over the original estimate for the work when it was included in the 2016 capital plan.
Rising construction costs in the range of 15-20 per cent and the fact that the structure had not gone through any significant maintenance work in the 40 years since it was first built were the reasons, council was told.
The original estimate was based on a "very-high-level" inspection conducted in 2013 and more issues were found while going through the details, engineering director Adam Homes told council.
A request for proposals in April yielded two bids for base prices - one for $3.5 million and one for just under $4 million.
Under the revised budget, $4.2 million has been earmarked for construction and a further $335,000 goes to other costs, for $4.5 million in total. On top of that is a 15-per-cent contingency, working out to just under $675,000.
The bill will be paid for over 20 years through the property tax levy downtown property owners pay for off-street parking. The offstreet parking reserve current stands at about $1.2 million, council was told.
Council members were generally resigned to approving the new budget, agreeing that if they hold off, the cost will only rise while parking will only get more scarce as more people come to live downtown.
"It's not going to get younger, it's not going to fix itself and it's going to be needed in a short period of time more than ever before," Coun.Terri McConnachie said.
Councillors Brian Skakun and Frank Everitt voted against approving the new budget.
Citing other projects where scopes have been widened, Skakun questioned the role of council if such changes are being made after the fact while Everitt said it would be better to see what the contractor can do for the bid that has been submitted.
Homes suggested a better strategy going forward is to carry out smaller upgrades over shorter periods of time.
