Moncton won't explain $2.1M jump in new police station cost

Shane Magee · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 08, 2025 11:17 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Moncton metropolis unit won't accidental what led to a $2.1 cardinal summation successful the outgo of a caller Codiac Regional RCMP presumption slated to open this summer.

On Monday, councillors voted 8-2 to o.k. the spending, which brings the total outgo of the Albert Street building to $59.2 million.

A metropolis papers refers lone to "a fig of unforeseen factors and expenses that person arisen." City unit wouldn't elaborate and suggested further increases are inactive possible.

"As indicated, it's assorted reasons and the task is inactive nether operation close now," Elaine Aucoin, the city's wide manager of sustainable maturation and improvement services, told CBC News aft the vote.

"So astatine this point, that's not adjacent a steadfast number. That's an estimation of what we foretell wherever we'll beryllium at. So that's arsenic overmuch accusation arsenic we person close now."

The $59.2-million fig includes onshore the metropolis purchased, remediation of the site, planning and design, caller instrumentality and furnishings for the station, and nationalist art. A $2 cardinal contingency money was included successful the erstwhile $57-million cost, but Aucoin said it's already been spent. 

The project's outgo has risen respective times.

In 2021, CBC News reported that the estimated outgo of the gathering had risen from $46 cardinal to $57 million, partially due to the fact that of the outgo of materials escalating during the pandemic.

Quebec-based Pomerleau Inc. was awarded the declaration successful 2022 to physique the 6,680-square-metre facility. It is designed for up to 376 officers and civilian staff. A dispatch centre at a occurrence hallway successful Dieppe will beryllium moved to the caller station.

The caller gathering volition regenerate the presumption connected Main Street, which is excessively tiny for the existent constabulary unit and has assorted problems, including h2o leaks. Codiac RCMP besides have a rented bureau abstraction connected Main Street that's expected to stay erstwhile the caller gathering is complete.

Moncton assembly initially approved the latest outgo summation during a closed-door gathering successful February. Monday's ballot ratified the decision. Councillors Bryan Butler and Daniel Bourgeois voted against the motion. 

"We're truthful acold on we pretty good person to enactment it," Butler said earlier voting against it. He was the lone councillor who spoke earlier the vote.

Timelines for completion person besides shifted. 

When the operation declaration was awarded, the gathering was expected to beryllium implicit successful 2024. That was moved to March of this year, past April, May, and present the extremity of July.

Once complete, officers and unit are expected to gradually determination in. Aucoin said everyone should beryllium moved successful by the extremity of September.

"With the task of this size and magnitude and complexity, immoderate delays are expected," Aucoin said successful an interview.

"We had immoderate upwind situations arsenic well that impacted the immoderate of the moving days, as good arsenic immoderate different factors conscionable with the the construction."

The gathering was designed to beryllium ample capable to accommodate the anticipated size of the constabulary unit successful 2044. However, a consequent study concluded it would beryllium excessively tiny by that constituent and would necessitate a multimillion-dollar expansion.