Council Awards 70% of New RCMP Detachment Construction Phase One Contracts to Local Contractors

At the June 8, 2020 Regular Council Meeting, Council awarded $2.9 million in contracts for the first phase of construction on the new RCMP Detachment. Over $2 million went to local contractors, representing 70% of the contracts awarded at yesterday’s Council meeting. To date, 59%, or $2.1 million of work, has gone to local contractors, with construction on the project scheduled to begin as soon as possible.

The existing Fort St. John RCMP Detachment building is over 35 years old and at the end of its useful life, with some necessary renovations or an expansion to the existing building not viable. The current building houses over 90 employees, including a combined total of 65 police officers from both municipally and provincially funded units, and 25 support staff responsible for an area of approximately 46,700 square kilometres. The replacement RCMP Detachment, to be located just north of the current detachment, will be built to be Net Zero Energy (NZE) ready, allowing the City to realize long-term operational savings on reduced energy demand. It will be municipally owned and leased by the RCMP in what is known as a Post-Detachment model combining both municipal and provincial RCMP staff.

Instead of traditional tendering and design, the replacement RCMP Detachment is utilizing an Integrated Design Process led by LMNTS Project Services. In this process, a team of professionals, including architects, engineers, and project managers, work collaboratively to design the building. This values-based approach, instead of a cost-based approach seen in typical construction projects, leads to greater efficiencies, improved designs, and higher quality projects. All while we continue to adhere to requirements of transparency and accountability following the City’s purchasing and procurement policies.

“I want to thank our local contractors for getting engaged in the process and submitting their best bids. A sod-turning ceremony is planned, and then we look forward to the start of the construction and seeing the quality work of our local contractors,” stated Mayor Lori Ackerman.

These contracts were awarded after the successful completion of the Alternative Approval Process that allows Council to borrow up to $22.7 million to finance the Provincial portion of the new Post-detachment. This loan will be repaid by the Provincial lease payments over 20 years. The remaining portion, 62.5% of the estimated $51.4 million building, will come from the City’s Capital Reserve Fund.

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Ryan Harvey
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250-794-3313