Tender issued for new police digs
Building to be located on former Glace Bay post office property
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality has issued a tender for the design of a new police building for Glace Bay.
The tender closes Feb. 14. In October 2017, the CBRM purchased the former Glace Bay post office property located at 600 Main St., for a dollar from the federal government. The building was torn down earlier this year.
The 459-page document notes that the existing Cape Breton Regional Police Service east division building “no longer meets the requirements of the CBRPS or the local community.”
The proposed replacement would be 8,000 square feet.
“The scope of work associated with this project includes the development of a police facility that addresses all architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and security requirements as well as all site services, access, parking and landscaping requirements,” the document states.
It also notes that the CBRM has allocated a budget of $2.1 million excluding tax for the design, construction and commissioning of the new building.
The notice of the contract award is expected to occur in April, with work at the site beginning the following month. Substantial completion of the work is expected by June 2020.
Any questions are to be directed to CBCL Ltd., which is listed as the owner’s adviser.
The tender document notes that the proposed development site includes four separate property identification numbers owned by the CBRM. The demolition work of the former post office building included the placement of structural fill for future site development.
The area was chosen as the site for the new police station for various reasons including the property having different entrance and exit points for emergency vehicles and access to the public.
The CBRM will appoint an evaluation committee that will review and evaluate the proposals that are received. That committee may include representatives of the CBRM department of parks, recreation, buildings and facilities, Cape Breton Regional Police Service as well as representatives of the owner’s adviser team. The evaluation committee may consult with technical, financial and other advisers.
When the project was approved by CBRM council in February 2017, its estimated total cost was $2.5 million. The 2017-18 capital budget approved by council included a $625,000 allocation for plans, land purchase and start for the new police east division building.
East division currently uses a portion of a former Devco building that dates back to the early 1970s that is expensive to operate and was never intended to be used for policing services, Chief Peter McIsaac said at the time.