The Burnaby RCMP detachment is too small, and it’s only going to get worse over the next 20 years, so the city plans to build a brand new facility for up to $150 million by 2027.
The city will use the integrated project delivery (IDP) model to get the new detachment built, and it is currently looking for the person who will represent the city on the IDP team, according to a request for proposal document.
The new, three-storey, 11,920-square-metre (128,306-square-foot) RCMP building and 13,801-sq.-m (148,553-sq.-ft) parking area will be built where the West Building at 6161 Deer Lake Ave. stands now, according to the RFP.
Occupancy is planned for September 2027, and the estimated budget for the project is in the $130-million-to-$150-million range “including contingencies and escalation,” according to an addendum to the RFP.
The city conducted a study in 2020 to determine how much space the RCMP will need in the coming 20 years.
The assessment found the detachment was already 2,685 sq. m (28,903 sq. ft) too small for the detachment’s needs and would be 4,074 sq. m (43,849 sq. ft) too small 20 years from now.
The study also found a number of other deficiencies with the old building, which was built in 1967 and served as a courthouse before being re-purposed as the Burnaby RCMP headquarters.
“The renovations undertaken to date have not fully addressed the underlying issues of space shortage and a suboptimal layout,” states another RFP document.
The city’s current five-year financial plan has a total of $95.5 million earmarked for the replacement of the RCMP facility, but there has been no public discussion of the project, and it has not been included in monthly updates on major civic building projects to the city’s financial management committee.
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