Whether they repurpose part of the existing police headquarters or build a new police headquarters that consolidates all operations, the cost sits north of $172 million.
A hybrid distribution model (administration at the existing 190 Brady St. building and a new satellite operations facility would be built at 1825 Frobisher St.) is estimated at $172.5 million.
Consolidating everything into a new police headquarters at 1825 Frobisher St. is only slightly more expensive, at $175.6 million.
These figures were revealed in a new headquarters feasibility study by Bélanger Salach Architecture in association with RPL Architects Inc. issued for the Oct. 16 police board meeting.
The topic of a new police headquarters has been bandied about for several years, and is raised at every year’s budget deliberations. Police have been feeding a reserve fund to help pay for the new police headquarters, but it has also been drawn from to pay for the existing building.
At this time last year, it sat at $6 million.
Draws in funding to pay for the existing building are reflective of its aging state, as outlined in an open letter Sudbury Police Association president Matt Hall released earlier this month in which he wrote it’s “dangerously breaking down.”
Police board chair Al Sizer told Sudbury.com that the letter reaffirmed the board’s push for a new building, the details of which would be outlined in the upcoming feasibility study.
Indeed, this feasibility study released for Wednesday’s police board meeting highlights key details, including anticipated future staffing levels based on a 25-year horizon.
By 2048, they anticipate the service will grow from 471 (including volunteers and police auxiliary) to 589 by 2048, and will need approximately 194,000 square feet of space.
(Police currently operate out of three main campuses, including those at 190 Brady St., 128 Larch St., and the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre in Azilda, plus storage space on Lorne Street, which have a combined square footage of 118,651.)
The city-owned Frobisher Street location proposed to house either proposed police headquarters was selected because it “allows for two distinct access and exit points from Frobisher to either the Kingsway or Falconbridge Road, with a planned future connection to Auger Avenue,” according to the feasibility study. “There is also adequate space for distinct visitors and secure police service parking.”
There’s also room for future expansion.
Whether it’s a 193,700-square-foot consolidated police headquarters or a 140,700-square-foot operations building at 1825 Frobisher St., the feasibility study proposes two-storey buildings with no basements and an 11,570-square-foot firing range.
City-owned sites were evaluated based on proximity to downtown (within 10 kilometres of downtown was preferred), size to accommodate a new police facility, servicing, site characteristics and accessibility.
In the event the city goes with the two-location option, the top three floors of 190 Brady St. would be returned to the city, and an elevator would be built to allow the city access. The balance of the building, comprising approximately 53,000 square feet, would accommodate police administration purposes.
The Oct. 16 police board meeting begins at 10 a.m. and can be viewed in-person in council chambers at Tom Davies Square. The meeting can also be livestreamed via Zoom by clicking here. The meeting ID is 874 5553 5165 and the passcode is 532854.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.