Planning begins for $100-million Halifax Regional Police HQ
HALIFAX, N.S. — Replacing the 1970s-era Halifax Regional Police headquarters on Gottingen Street in Halifax may cost a projected $100 million and might be built by 2028-2029. But it’s all still conceptual at this point, say HRM staff.
At the Halifax board of police commissioners meeting on Wednesday night, municipal finance staff presented a capital plan that relates to the police department.
A long-awaited new HQ was on the list, but doesn’t get a budget line for planning and design until 2025-2026.
Commissioner Lindell Smith said something needs to be done.
“I’ve been in there many times for many different reasons and occasions, and every time I say to myself, ‘What are we doing?’ Because for the size of the force we have and our headquarters, then you go over to Dartmouth and you look at the RCMP headquarters, you’re like, ‘OK, this is what we should be doing.’”
A “state-of-the-art” Halifax district headquarters opened in Dartmouth in 2013.
Crystal Nowlan, HRM’s director of finance management, explained that the numbers and the timeline for the headquarters are all rough estimates and will depend on a number of things including service needs, size and location.
Location, location, location?
That’s where it gets tricky, said Cathie O’Toole, chief administrative officer.
“The municipality is running out of large chunks of land that we own that would be suitable for this kind of building,” she said. “I think it’s important we get to a decision on the site for the new building in next year’s budget.”
But Smith said there are opportunities still available on HRM-owned land.
He said it could go in the Cogswell area and then HRM could sell the property on Gottingen Street to help pay for the project. Another option, he said, is looking at the future of the Centennial Pool and if that is closed down, the headquarters could go there.
“I think we have opportunities without spending money on very expensive land that we own currently that we could put a headquarters on.”
O’Toole said another issue is whether occupational health and safety requirements can be met for the existing building “recognizing that they will have to live in that building until a new facility is built.”
She said she also plans to find out when the last fire inspection was completed and to make sure they’re also budgeting for what needs to be done “to get us through to a new one.”
O’Toole said when all the details and approvals are worked out, it will be a three-to-four-year build with completion around 2028-2029.
‘Heartening to hear’
Police officers know this won’t be built right away, said acting Chief Don MacLean, who is filling in for Chief Dan Kinsella who retired (his last day was Sept. 15) until a replacement is announced. Wednesday was his third day on the job.
“But the challenge with that then is the longer this goes on, the more of a frustration it (is).”
It is heartening to hear the support from the commission, he said, and that’s “something our people need to hear.”
The original building went up in 1975.
A presentation in 2018 referenced a consultant’s report on a new building and listed the shortcomings of the current headquarters, including inadequate public reception space, “severe” lack of privacy, inadequate facilities for fingerprinting, interviewing, photography and DNA sample-taking, as well as little room for parking and accessibility concerns.
On the priority list
Chair Becky Kent said she wants to get this going, and doesn’t want it to be bumped down on HRM’s priority list.
“I need to know what we can do to get this moving, even to start that conversation,” she said. “I’m not comfortable with the idea of seeing two more years of seeing zero funding, even if it’s just to have an admin support for these conversations to begin.”
Commissioner Lisa Blackburn requested a refresh of the 2018 report on a new headquarters for a presentation to the board.
