The current RCMP detachment building was purpose-built as a courthouse in 1967. A needs-assessment study conducted in 2020 concluded that the current building is no longer fit for purpose and a larger detachment is required to accommodate all departments. In response to this assessment, Council initiated the building replacement by awarding an initial contract to the Safe Community Partners Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) team on July 10, 2023.
Once the project scope, program, schedule and budget were validated, the Burnaby RCMP detachment replacement project was presented to council at its October 30, 2023 meeting. Council asked staff to have a third party examine the IPD quote to confirm that it represents fair market value. Council also requested the team seek further opportunities for cost savings.
The proposal is to design and build a three-storey, 12,000 sq. m (129,000 sq. ft.) detachment on City-owned land on Norland Avenue, to meet current and future public safety needs in Burnaby. More than 400 police and civilian staff would be based from this location.
The new building would be built to post-disaster standards, meaning it would be designed to survive a major seismic event and continue to be operational, ensuring Burnaby residents can continue to rely on the RCMP in the event of an emergency or disaster. The structure would also be equipped with emergency power generators to operate the building in the event of a power outage.
An independent cost consultant was engaged to validate the Safe Community Partners’ IPD quote and compare the RCMP detachment project costs with those of police buildings elsewhere in Canada. As a public safety building, there are specific national and provincial post-disaster requirements, as well as police building standards and security requirements that affect the design and cost. The consultant found that the IPD all inclusive quote of approximately $1,500/sq. ft. represents fair market value and compares favourably to similar recent projects. The comparable design-build costs for other RCMP facilities either recently approved or under construction in Canada range from $1,200 to $2,600/sq. ft.
Council has received the results of the review that they requested in October and the Burnaby RCMP detachment project will be presented to Council on Monday, January 29 for approval to proceed with the design and construction of the new building. The project will be delivered using the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model, which the City has been using for two new fire stations at Burnaby Mountain. The IPD approach gets City staff, designers and the construction team all around the same table from the start of the project and incentivizes costs savings.
Construction on the new detachment would be complete in 2027.
Learn more: RCMP New Detachment (Project Page)