Arcadis Named Design Lead for New Digby, N.S. Ferry Terminal
Global design firm Arcadis has been awarded the prime consultant contract for a new ferry terminal in Digby, Nova Scotia, Daily Commercial News reports, with Public Services and Procurement Canada and Transport Canada as the client agencies.
Market Impact
Arcadis will lead architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and engineering for the replacement facility, which will serve the ferry route connecting Digby and Saint John, N.B. The new two-storey building consolidates terminal and ticketing operations into a single structure, replacing two separate buildings dating to the 1970s. According to the release cited by Daily Commercial News, the design will keep the project within the site’s existing footprint while accommodating ticketing, waiting and arrival zones, public bathrooms, administrative offices, intelligent transportation communications facilities and staff amenities.
The project also factors in the Bay of Fundy’s marine environment, with the release noting the design will include measures to support reliable operations and enhance safety in that setting. Daily Commercial News notes the award extends Arcadis’ Atlantic Canada transportation portfolio, which already includes design work on the Wrights Cove Transit Terminal in Dartmouth, a facility supporting bus rapid transit.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- The current award covers design only, so construction subcontracting packages, including civil, structural, marine electrical and mechanical fit-out, have not yet been tendered. Firms working Nova Scotia federal infrastructure should watch for a construction procurement notice once Arcadis completes design development.
- Because the facility sits on the Bay of Fundy and must support “reliable operations” in that marine environment, expect specialty scopes tied to tidal exposure and corrosion protection, relevant to marine electrical, waterproofing and structural steel trades.
- The consolidation of two 1970s-era buildings into one structure implies demolition and site prep work ahead of new construction, an opportunity for demolition and earthwork subcontractors to position early with Arcadis or the eventual general contractor.
- Interior fit-out scopes, including ticketing counters, waiting areas, public washrooms and staff amenities, will likely be packaged separately from structural work. Interior/finishing subcontractors should track Public Services and Procurement Canada’s tendering portal for this project once design milestones are reached.
- Arcadis’ parallel work on the Wrights Cove Transit Terminal in Dartmouth suggests the firm is actively building an Atlantic Canada pipeline. Subcontractors with marine terminal or transit facility experience may benefit from establishing a relationship with Arcadis’ regional office ahead of both projects reaching construction bid stage.
