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

Moncton city staff won't say what led to a $2.1 million increase in the cost of a new Codiac Regional RCMP station slated to open this summer.

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

A city document refers only to "a number of unforeseen factors and expenses that have arisen." City staff wouldn't elaborate and suggested further increases are still possible.

"As indicated, it's various reasons and the project is still under construction right now," Elaine Aucoin, the city's general manager of sustainable growth and development services, told CBC News after the vote.

"So at this point, that's not even a firm number. That's an estimate of what we predict where we'll be at. So that's as much information as we have right now."

The $59.2-million figure includes land the city purchased, remediation of the site, planning and design, new equipment and furniture for the station, and public art. A $2 million contingency fund was included in the previous $57-million cost, but Aucoin said it's already been spent. 

The project's cost has risen several times.

In 2021, CBC News reported that the estimated cost of the building had risen from $46 million to $57 million, partly because of the cost of materials escalating during the pandemic.

Quebec-based Pomerleau Inc. was awarded the contract in 2022 to build the 6,680-square-metre facility. It is designed for up to 376 officers and civilian staff. A dispatch centre at a fire hall in Dieppe will be moved to the new station.

The new building will replace the station on Main Street, which is too small for the current police force and has various problems, including water leaks. Codiac RCMP also have a rented office space on Main Street that's expected to remain when the new building is complete.

Moncton council initially approved the latest cost increase during a closed-door meeting in February. Monday's vote ratified the decision. Councillors Shawn Crossman and Daniel Bourgeois voted against the motion. 

"We're so far along we pretty well have to support it," Bryan Butler said before voting. He was the only councillor who spoke before the vote.

Timelines for completion have also shifted. 

When the construction contract was awarded, the building was supposed to be complete in 2024. That was moved to March of this year, then April, May, and now the end of July.

Once complete, officers and staff are expected to gradually move in. Aucoin said everyone should be moved in by the end of September.

"With the project of this size and magnitude and complexity, some delays are expected," Aucoin said in an interview.

"We had some weather situations as well that impacted the some of the working days, as well as some other factors just with the the construction."

The building was designed to be large enough to accommodate the anticipated size of the police force in 2044. However, a subsequent report concluded it would be too small by that point and would require a multimillion-dollar expansion.