St. John’s City Council goes back to weekly meetings as of today after reducing the frequency to twice monthly during the summer.
More details will emerge this afternoon on a plan by the City of St. John’s to expand the network of charging stations for electric vehicles.
There are only about 13 such stations in the region but the city, by accessing grants and subsidies, plans to add 24 over the next year or two. That would include 10 corporate-use facilities and 14 publicly-available ones.
Initial thoughts are to have two chargers at each of the following locations: Mews Centre, the Farmers Market on Freshwater Road, Churchill Square, Paul Reynolds Centre, City Hall and the Southlands Community Centre.
There is also a pilot included which would see chargers installed in the downtown in off-street parking areas.
The total cost of the project, $315,000, would see the city contributing about $200,000.
It would cost $1.50 per hour of plug-in time which works out to about a third of the cost of gasoline to drive one kilometer. The city says the expansion would become cost-neutral over time.
One of the items on the table today is the new Mews Community Centre. It’s going to be built on the west side of Mundy Pond. Four bids have been received including one from J.W. Lindsay Enterprises for just shy of $34-million. That bid, which was ranked the top one, is being recommended by staff.
The facility will include a 6-lane aquatics facility, full gymnasium, indoor walking track and multi-purpose rooms.
The current Mews Centre is regarded as having outlived its life.
