A southern Ontario contractor, Mississauga’s Bird Construction, has been awarded the contract to design, build and finance nine new Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments, including four in Northern Ontario.
The $182-million infrastructure project by the Ontario province will replace aging detachment buildings in Fort Frances, Manitoulin Island, Marathon, Moosonee, West Parry Sound, Hawkesbury, Huron County, Orillia, and Port Credit (Mississauga).
Bird will undertake the design and build for the project, and will also own the concession responsible for the financing through Bird Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary.
The detachments will feature a secure functions area with holding cells and interview rooms, a public admittance area, an administration area for support staff and management, an operational area with offices, and evidence storage vaults.
Construction is expected to begin this fall with substantial completion expected in late 2020.
The project is being delivered under Infrastructure Ontario's Alternative Financing and Procurement model, a modern project delivery method which transfers risks associated with design, construction and financing of the project to the private sector. Taxpayers are guaranteed a fixed price for the nine detachments.
"This project allows for the continued renewal of our aging detachments under one major infrastructure project," said OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes in an Aug.19 statement.
"This bundled approach to renewing our aging facilities will ensure the OPP continues to provide modern, efficient municipal and provincial policing services to local communities across the province."
