Cranbrook’s RCMP building will get an upgrade thanks to the first part of an updated budget getting approved by City Council.
Mayor Wayne Price said the detachment is overdue for some work, as the building is outdated.
“There are a number of structural concerns that have been intensified,” said Price. “The RCMP standard has changed over the years, and we no longer meet those standards. Upgrades will make sure the structural and fire and safety now conform to current codes and that we’re aligned with the most current standards.”
Council documents said the work will extend the life of the building for upwards of two decades.
“The proposed renovation could expand the life of the current building by up to 20-25 years,” said the documents.
The document also discouraged the possibility of a new building altogether.
“Significant investments have already been made to the detachment cell block that would be lost in a move to a new building,” said Cranbrook staff. “In addition, a move to a new building would also create additional costs to renovate the detachment building to have it as useable office space.”
The updated budget comes with an overall price tag of over $3.04-million. This will cover the initial design work as well as the actual construction on the building.
Price said council gave early approval only for the first step of the renovation work.
“What they came for was just over $540,000 for design work. There’s a $2.5-million construction component that will follow,” said Price. “The early approval was just for the design work right now, so they can get out in front of that and make sure it’s in place well ahead of time.”
According to the proposal, the adjustment was needed after construction costs went up since the initial budget was approved last year.
Discussions on the costs of renovation work will come up at a future meeting.