Committee to Present Cost Cutting Ideas for RCMP Building Soon

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 04:03 AM

Prince George, B.C. - The Committee which has been examining possibilities to trim the price tag for the new RCMP building in Prince George, is expected to file its final report to Prince George City Council soon. That could happen as early as the next Council meeting which is on Monday, July 19^th.

Councillor Cameron Stolz, who is a member of the cost review committee says the report will make a number of recommendations for Council to consider.

“I am not at liberty to discuss the recommendations, that wouldn’t be proper to go public before Council has had a chance to look at the report” says Stolz. However, he says there are savings to be found, one idea he could discuss is the use of wood. “We (the City) are adopting a wood first policy which promotes the use of wood in construction, and the atrium of the new RCMP building was designed to be made of concrete and steel with a wood panel overlay. We asked the architect to look at how much that same area would cost if it was built of wood, and they came back saying it would be $400 thousand dollars cheaper.”

At the last presentation to Council, the total project cost was pegged at $45,833,425 that was $818,406 dollars less than the preliminary budget which was presented February of 2009.

City Staff had also predict there would be savings because of the introduction of the HST. Initial estimates suggest the savings could be in the $500 thousand dollar range over and above the savings already found.

The final report on the Prince George detachment ( a 2 storey building) project will come hot off the heels of the awarding of a contract for the construction of a new RCMP “H” Division headquarters for the RCMP in Halifax, (in photo at right)

That construction contract is for $59 million dollars and calls for the construction of a five storey, 24,000 square metre facility that will accommodate more than 500 employees. That does not include the price of land, or site preparation.

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Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 04:03 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Denaljo on July 14 2010 5:19 AM

I have a cheaper idea - wall tent!
How much did the HST add to the cost of this unwanted by the taxpayers project?

Posted by: acrider54 on July 14 2010 5:26 AM

Cut the costs alltogether, no new building!

Posted by: gus on July 14 2010 6:04 AM

Halifax??? ... Are we moving out police to Halifax?

I know, we could build it there, containerize it, ship it to Rupert, put it on rail, and send it to PG for assembly. :-)

500 employees housed for $59 million. We have what, around 130? So lets say 25% of the staff. That would be about $15 million for the building. Put on a factor for the West, and it will be $20 million.

Now that is more like it!

Posted by: Andyfreeze on July 14 2010 8:09 AM

A gross waste of tax dollars!
Political?

Posted by: Reevus on July 14 2010 8:31 AM

I wonder if they will put one of those Tim horton express's that you see in airports or shopping malls???.....hahahahahaha.....cops like doughnuts

Posted by: Retired on July 14 2010 9:56 AM

And would those blueish areas be window walls? If they are Lakeland mills would need another wood burner to heat this building.

How can we be so stupid to put a building of such complex structure for a cop shop. Why don�t they build it down on the old City yard close to all the action in the Hood and so that they wouldn�t have to impress us tax payers with how clever they are in designing this building..

Nice square box on pilings with parking underneath. They could install a slide down like firemen have in case of a stabbing or getting to a donut shop in a hurry.
Cheers

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on July 14 2010 10:45 AM

Halifax: "The force has a total strength of 615 sworn officers, 151 civilian staff, 170 crossing guards, 9 K-9 dogs and 2 horses."

What are our numbers in Prince George?

Half that? One third?

Can we ask the architects to design a building that considers the size of our population and the size of the force? Something that can be added to and expanded as the need arises?

No?

Ah, well. I think we are in trouble.

Posted by: Retired on July 14 2010 11:14 AM

The City has a contract for 128 constables for Prince George. How many odds and sods I have no idea.

Remember the curent building was designed for addional floors to be added. But that does not appear to be an option at the present time.

And yes we are in trounle. Unless we make some changes at City Hall we will remaine in trouble. And I dont me Council.
Cheers

Posted by: seamutt on July 14 2010 11:20 AM

What is wrong with building just an office building. Just look at the conplex design, no wonder it costs so much.

Posted by: seamutt on July 14 2010 11:38 AM

Posted before completing, complex. Notice how taxpayer funded buildings seem to always be some complex costly design. Use the money to make a useful functional less costly design and the money left over for equipment and resources the police can use.

A good chunk of the funds will most likely go into some high tech eco feel good supposedly economical heating system. Now if these fancy heating systems are so good why do they only seem to be installed in government buildings.

Posted by: He spoke on July 14 2010 1:57 PM

Crime is big business, fighting crime has to become big business too.

Posted by: newly retired on July 14 2010 3:07 PM

Lets get this straight, city councillors and mayor are comparing the Halifax new police station at a cost of $59,million which is a 5 storey building and population of 380,000 to a almost $50. million 2 storey building, and our population being around 75,000. I think Halifax is getting a much better deal for their money. I see no reason why Prince George needs to build such an extravegant police station. Watch your taxes going up again.

Posted by: Harbinger on July 14 2010 3:32 PM

"Committee to present cost cutting ideas...." I am sure if this "committee was paying for this edifice out of their own pockets there would be a major change, I can predict either a lean to or an addition to the side of a Tim's building. And I hope this committee doesn't forget my idea of putting our needle exchange just inside the front door of this potential cop shop. Second door on the right with lots of cameras.As far as Halifax goes, would PG jump off a bridge just because Halifax did? As my mom would say.

Posted by: onemansthoughts on July 14 2010 6:21 PM

Oh heck, we will save 400,000 if we use wood, says Cameron Stoltz. Now it can burn down quicker, insurance will be more.
Cameron Stoltz answer should have been, lets not build this palace at all.
Why cant we build square buildings instead of fancy round ones, That would save about 25% of the total cost. We need some business people in city council, this building is very much overkill.

Posted by: acopolympics on July 14 2010 7:32 PM

Sounds like the pharoah syndrome to me. Each successive mayor wants to build something bigger and better than the last mayor.

Posted by: sometimer on July 14 2010 8:36 PM

Someone please stop the insanity, this building looks to nice to be a police station? Do they get a casino licence to help pay for it??

Posted by: Eagleone on July 14 2010 11:36 PM

This should never go ahead without a referendum... we don't have democracy in PG at all when it comes to spending the home owner hostage dollars.

Posted by: Palopu on July 15 2010 9:34 PM

Its time that people in Prince George came to realize that none of these projects are built because of need. They are built because the Federal, Provincial, and Local Governments have money available to spend, and spend they will. We only have to look at where our money is being spent to see that **need is non-existant** and that it is all about Contracts, and Spending.

1. Airport Runway Expansion $36 Million
2. River Road Upgrade $7 Million
3. Boundry Road Cut-off $28 Million
4. Community Energy System $15 Million
5. Police Station $48 Million
6. Performing Arts Centre $40 Million??
7. Wood Innovation Centre $40 Million

There are others.

If all these project are completed you are looking at $215 Million in expenditures, and very little in return.

For a City of 74,000 people this is insane, however Im sure there are many who would look at it as being forward thinking and futuristic.

This money could be better spent on more reasonable projects, like water, sewer, garbage, pavement, schools, health, recreation facilities, and last but not least REDUCTIONS IN TAXES.

When are we going to see some serious fiscal responsibility from the various levels of Government???

First we have to kill the HST. Then we have to tackle local spending and put the brakes on the blokes at City Hall.

Enough is enough.

Have a nice day.