Berrigan Shire CEO Karina Ewer said the dispute has since been resolved, but she ‘‘wouldn’t dare’’ lock in a completion date at this stage.
The building was originally promised for July this year, before being delayed by materials shortages and state border closures.
Darrel Bowden, from D & M Bowden Constructions, said while waits of ‘‘up to 12 weeks’’ for some materials slowed construction, the real difficulty came from government bureaucracy.
‘‘We had to wait five months for power and gas to be hooked up,’’ said Mr Bowden.
‘‘That was the real delay, it was a nightmare.’’
The controversial development will host three retail and hospitality spaces — two on the ground floor and one on the first. Preferred tenants have already been selected for the lower two spaces, but have not been publicly announced.
Southern Riverina News understands the contract dispute resulted in power and water not being supplied to the upper level of the building, which will eventually house a restaurant or similar business, and provide extensive river views to patrons.
State funding was sourced for the development in 2019, the design was not finalised until July last year because of community disapproval of concepts presented.
The current design was selected after extensive community consultation.
After a public consultation period, council voted with the public and selected a concept jointly submitted by architect Marie Le Touze and D & M Bowden Constructions.
But the concerns over the layout of the building had already seen the Tocumwal Chamber of Commerce and Tourism — which had previously operated a visitor information centre within the former foreshore building — break away and set themselves up in a new building.
They were granted what they felt was too small of a space in the new foreshore building, and so leased the Old Railway Store building in Tuppal Rd.
The redesign is believed to have contributed to a $246,631 over-run of the total overall $4.2 million foreshore redevelopment, which also includes a splash park and amenities building, streetscape works, town square and spine pathways.
