‘It’s time to get out’
Plans for new police building in east division moving ahead
The new Cape Breton Regional Police station in east division is scheduled to open in Glace Bay by the fall of 2018.
Chief Peter McIsaac said a request for a consultant engineer was issued about a week ago.
“The director of building services for the CBRM, Bill Murphy, is overseeing that process,” he said. “Once one is selected then the work starts.”
McIsaac said the consultant will assist with a site selection. However he said it’s definitely going to be in the downtown area of Glace Bay.
“Right from the start I said that’s where it has got to go as that’s where the public is,” he said. “They’ve got the whole plan with the revitalization of Glace Bay, the police building fits in with all that stuff as well.”
McIsaac said there are a number of sites under consideration, some are owned by the municipality and some are privately owned.
“When we engage the consultant we want them to do an evaluation of the land the building is going to go on,” he said.
He said the consultant’s assessment will consider everything from environmental issues, size, location and easements for traffic flow.
The estimated total cost of the new police building is $2-2.5 million. During a Cape Breton Regional Municipality council meeting in February, the 2017-18 capital budget included $625,000 for plans, land purchase and the construction start of the new police station.
McIsaac said once a consultant is chosen, they’ll meet with the committee which also dealt with police buildings in central and north divisions.
The central division building
recently underwent extensive renovations and north division was relocated to the former town hall in Sydney Mines that underwent about $1 million in renovations.
“We will look at a needs analysis out there in relation to what kind of structure we are looking at and needs — for example breathalyzer rooms, patrol rooms, locker rooms — whatever we need.” “Everything from security to public access and flow and function all have to go into this.”
He said construction will probably begin in early winter and the remaining costs moved to next year’s municipal budget.
“Once the rest of the money is allocated it won’t take long to put the building up.”
According to McIsaac, the current police building will be maintained by the municipality. He said CBRM carpentry is located in the back of the building and the second floor is used for achieves and storage.
“They are are also looking for a space for ground search and rescue so they’d have an actual office to work out of,” he said. “I don’t know if that will happen or not but that’s one of the things they are looking at.”
The Glace Bay police station is a former Devco building built in the 1970s and only about one-third of it is being used.
“It’s not functional for a police building, it’s outdated and it’s time to get out of there,” McIsaac added.