Ottawa Construction News staff writer
The Ottawa Police Services Board and the Ottawa Police Service have broken ground on a new $115 million South Facility at 3505 Prince of Wales Dr.
Broccolini Construction won the contract as the lowest bidder of three meeting all necessary criteria, following a board meeting in September.
The $115,452,850 contract includes a 7.5 per cent contingency at slightly more than $8 million, to account for unknown conditions that might arise during construction. The overall project budget is $193.7 million.
CS&P Architects in conjunction with Moriyama and Teshima Architects designed the new building.
“The 218,000 sq. ft., three-storey facility will bring police services and public safety closer to the growing communities in the south end of Ottawa,” Chief Eric Stubbs said in a statement at the Nov. 7 groundbreaking. “It will provide an inclusive, equitable, and safe space to serve all city residents and operations in the urban and rural areas of the city.”
The new structure will contribute to enhancing community safety and house a Community Police Centre, provide front desk and collision reporting services, as well as a community boardroom, the statement says.
“The population of Barrhaven and Riverside South combined are approaching that of Kingston’s—the South Facility recognizes that and fulfills a promise to the residents of Barrhaven since the early-2010s for a local police station,” said city councillor Wilson Lo.
The new building’s construction is aligned with meeting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification and will include electrical vehicle charging stations both in the visitors and staff parking areas. The finished structure will also introduce interior and exterior art installations commissioned through the City Public Art process.
The project would see the Ottawa Police Service develop around eight acres of a 15-acre site on Prince of Wales Drive near Lodge Road. facility is intended to replace the Leitrim and Greenbank police stations, as well as several leased properties. A new 911 Communications Centre would be housed in the structure.
The police services board had approved plans for a new police station in 2013, but the plan was stalled in 2021 because of rising construction costs related to to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CTV Ottawa news reported that the board would redirect $8.7-million worth of funds from other projects to fill budget gaps for the south facility project. Costs have been increasing because of the project’s scope, a report recommending the Broccolini contract said.
In June, the board approved a $7-million transfer from the Queensview Drive expansion project to the south facility, leaving a gap of another $8.9 million, which is expected to be filled by cancelling an assessment for a new central facility and using money originally earmarked for a 2035 project at the Elgin Street headquarters, the broadcaster reported.
Police expect the South Facility will be completed in 2026.
The remaining eight acres of the 15-acre site are anticipated to be developed over the next few years, police say.
