Halifax considering 3 sites for new police headquarters

Halifax is in the process of identifying potential sites for a new Halifax Regional Police headquarters, as the current location, which is 50 years old, is in need of replacement. City staff recently presented three possible sites to the city’s board of police commissioners.

The first option is to rebuild the headquarters on its current property on Gottingen Street. This would also require acquiring the land across the street where the Centennial Pool and modular housing for homeless individuals are currently located. The other two potential locations are in Cowie Hill off Dunbrack Street and in the Burnside business park.

Councilor Becky Kent emphasized the importance of upgrading the police service delivery by moving to a state-of-the-art facility. Philip Dugandzic, Halifax’s director of facility design and construction, highlighted that the current headquarters no longer meets the needs of the growing police force, which has expanded into multiple buildings across the municipality. A 2018 study recommended centralizing police services for improved efficiency, especially as the city’s population and police staffing requirements have increased in recent years.

Chief Don MacLean explained that the new headquarters would not be a massive complex but would bring various police teams together in one location for enhanced collaboration. Each potential site has its own set of challenges and benefits. For instance, the Gottingen Street option would involve constructing one building on the current Centennial Pool site and another on the existing headquarters site.

One concern raised by Councilor Virginia Hinch is the potential impact on the Centennial Pool, which is a vital community resource. She hopes to explore alternative options to avoid displacing the pool. Additionally, the upcoming construction of the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre on the adjacent parcel adds another layer of coordination needed for future redevelopment.

The final decision on the new police headquarters site will be made by the regional council after reviewing the staff report. The next steps involve analyzing all three options and determining the facility requirements for Halifax Regional Police in the coming decades. The pre-design and site-selection phase is expected to take more than a year, with a budget of $180.5 million allocated for the project in Halifax’s 10-year capital plan.