The cost of the project for a new police station and neighborhood station in Saint-Roch has doubled since 2017 when there were many twists and turns, including a relocation.
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On Thursday, the city of Quebec invited the media to tour the two construction sites. However, we have learned that costs have increased. In 2019, these were estimated at $101.5 million, including land purchases, just for the police station. Since then, those costs have grown to $114.3 million, including a $10 million contingency reserve, primarily due to the increase in lumber costs related to the pandemic.
The city estimated it would cost $25.4 million to build a neighborhood police station and move the municipal courthouse to the landmarked F. X. Drolet building on the corner of Prince-Édouard and du Pont in Saint-Roch, three years ago . They are now at $29 million, largely due to unforeseen events at this historic building.
The cost of the two projects is now estimated at $143.3 million, a substantial increase from single to double the first version unveiled in 2017 and estimated at $72 million.
Several changes
It must be said that the project has seen many twists and turns since then. Originally planned on a somewhat cramped site in Lebourgneuf, the plant did not have underground parking and the police had to park their private vehicles in a car park about 500 meters from the building.
The project has since moved to a larger lot at the mouth of the Laurentian Autoroute and an underground car park has been added. The city said more employees could live there.
Yesterday Mayor Bruno Marchand and City Executive Committee Councilor for Records Steeve Verret underlined that in their opinion these two projects are not comparable and that the costs should be compared to those of 2019. , which have been included in the budget.
“The 2017 analysis is a preliminary analysis. […] The real assessment is when we do the overall assessment, that’s what happened in 2019,” Mr Marchand said.
For the mayor, “Quebec’s citizens are very well served and cost increases are under control.” He is convinced that the decisions made to bundle all services together have resulted in a better project.
Villeneuve concerned
For his part, the leader of the official opposition, Claude Villeneuve, raised his eyebrows at the increase in costs. Especially since the city assured a few weeks ago that inflation would not affect the project. “On the one hand, it’s normal with the cost of materials, the cost of labor, inflation, but we still wonder if the city really followed that up.”
The leader of the second opposition, Eric Ralph Mercier, was also surprised. He indicated that he would ask several questions during a full committee that will be held in the coming weeks. He said he was “happy” with this project, which is “good news” for the police. But according to him “an interrogation must be carried out. I want to know why it is increasing so much.
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