Thunder Bay police board defers vote on new police headquarters

The Thunder Bay Police Services Board won't make a decision on a new police headquarters in the city for another three months.

A resolution tabled at this week's board meeting recommended the construction of a new, centralized police building in the city.

The resolution also recommended $5.6 million for land acquisition and tender document preparation be included in the 2022 city capital budget for consideration, and about $50 million in construction costs be included in the 2024 city capital budget for consideration.

However, the board decided to defer the vote until its April meeting to allow for more consultation.

"We need to engage individual councillors, help them better understand the project, get their feedback, get their guidance, understand their concerns," police board member Michael Power said at the meeting. "Bring all of that back, engage in a community consultation process."

The existing police headquarters on Balmoral Street was built in 1987, and had a second storey added five years later.

However, police have said they've outgrown the existing building, which would require a number of upgrades if it were to continue to serve as police headquarters.

The police board decided to defer a vote on the resolution until its April 2021 meeting.