New Brunswick says it has chosen Grand Lake as the new site for its next correctional facility, after abruptly pulling plans to build it in Fredericton in May.
In a release Monday, the province said the site will be located on Industrial Park Road in Minto. The site was selected from nine communities that expressed interest, five of which submitted applications.
“We were impressed by the various proposals and we are excited to move forward,” Public Safety Minister Kris Austin said in the release. “The expressions of interest and the quality of the applications confirm our belief this is an excellent opportunity for a community.”
The site is owned by the province and includes a buffer of trees that isolate the facility from nearby properties. The province notes there are few residential properties in the immediate area, and as required, it is less than an hour’s drive from Fredericton.
The release said a request for proposal for the design has been filed and the total project cost is expected to be about $42 million.
Austin, who also represents the riding of Fredericton-Grand Lake, said once a design has been finalized, the province will “be in a position to discuss an opening date for this much-needed facility.”
Fredericton was supposed to be the original site for the facility, but the idea was unpopular among residents, many of whom were concerned about the jail’s proximity, a perceived increase in crime, construction traffic and decreased property value.
While the city’s council voted in favour of rezoning for the jail to be built in January, the province announced in a brief news release at the end of May that “the provincial government has decided not to build a correctional facility within the City of Fredericton.”
— with files from Nathalie Sturgeon and The Canadian Press