The City of Moncton is moving ahead with its plan to build a new RCMP station by 2019.
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According to the city, five construction companies have submitted their proposals to build the new headquarters, but at least one city councillor is questioning why the new facility needs to be such a big ticket item.
“To me, right now, it’s about twice the cost as it should be,” said Coun. Paul Pellerin.
Pellerin agrees that Moncton’s more than 30-year-old RCMP headquarters on Main street is too small and outdated and needs to be replaced.
“I am a firm believer in giving the police or the RCMP the tools that they need,” said Pellerin, but he’s questioning the cost.
According to a public request for qualifications issued last fall, the city has budgeted between $35 million and $45 million dollars in its capital budget for a new headquarters to house its nearly 150 officers.
Pellerin said that means a new 60,000 square foot building could cost as much as $750 dollars a square foot. The councillor, who has a background in construction, said the numbers just don’t add up.
“I am doing some research on other police stations across Canada and the costs are coming in at at least half of that.”
He said according to a “Canadian Construction Guide” released last year by the Altus Group, police stations across the country should cost between $285 and $450 dollars per square foot.
The RCMP’s new state-of-the-art provincial headquarters which opened four years ago in Dartmouth, N.S. was built for about $440 dollars per square foot .
Given those numbers, Pellerin questioned why the City of Moncton has such “grand” plans for its new municipal building.
“If we can shave even five or 10 or 15 million dollars off that, it is going to be a benefit for the taxpayer of Moncton,” Pellerin said.
Spokesperson for the City of Moncton, Isabelle LeBlanc, said Mayor Dawn Arnold can’t comment on the project until the request for proposal process is complete.
But in an email to Global News, LeBlanc stated, “A total of six (6) proposals were received from five (5) firms (one firm submitted two separate proposals).”
The companies are: Atlantic Commercial Properties Inc., EllisDon, Bird Construction / Terra Trust, The Ashford Group, Heritage Resources.
LeBlanc said the information in those proposals with respect to what the building might look like, a break down of cost and where the new RCMP headquarters might be located is not being made public.
“Proposals are never seen as they contain commercially sensitive information,” LeBlanc said.
She said the city is reviewing the proposals and will make its recommendation to city council by the end of April.
LeBlanc added that the evaluation process is to shortlist “potential proponents,” not choose the “successful proposal” project.
Pellerin said he is looking forward to seeing the plans.
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