New $150-million RCMP headquarters proposed for Kamloops

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops city councillors are being asked for approval to borrow $150.7 million to fund the validation, detailed design and construction of a new RCMP detachment on Battle Street downtown.

In a report going before Tuesday’s (Jan. 14) city council meeting, staff are proposing to build a new five-storey, 120,700 sq. ft. building at 560 Battle Street, located immediately to the west of the existing detachment.

“Operations at the existing detachment will remain in full effect until the completion of the new addition’s construction,” the report said. “At this point, RCMP equipment and staff will be relocated into the new addition, and the existing detachment will be demolished. A specialized, two-storey parking structure will be built at the existing detachment location to facilitate current and future RCMP fleet requirements.”

The report by Adam Gordon, the city’s project delivery manager, noted that the new building “has been tailored to suit the operational needs of policing in Kamloops for 30 years.”

“The current and future needs of multiple functions have been incorporated, including, but not limited to, prisoner intake, cells, exhibits, fleet maintenance, crime prevention, forensics, investigative services, information, records, traffic, fitness, training and management,” Gordon wrote.

Space remains a hot commodity at the existing RCMP detachment, which was designed to accommodate 85 employees, as it has an occupancy of approximately 150 employees. That number is expected to grow further as the City grows.

Construction may begin in 2026

According to the report, construction on the new RCMP headquarters will take place in 2026, with a move-in date sometime in 2029, at which point the existing RCMP building is expected to be demolished.

“A phasing strategy will be implemented to limit as much disruption to RCMP operations as possible, occurring in alternating phases of demolition and construction, beginning with off-site pre-construction work in 2025,” the report said.

“Construction of this project will be taking place concurrently with the Kamloops Centre for the Arts site approximately 350 metres away. Efforts will be made to minimize disruptions to the downtown core while these two large construction projects are taking place in close proximity to one another.”

New proposal replaces previous concepts

Gordon also wrote that the city has spent approximately $4.75 million to develop preliminary designs on a pair of proposals that were presented in Oct. 2023, and this “recommended” third option being presented in Jan. 2025.

“Concept 1 sought to undertake major renovations to the existing structure and provide 15 years of potential growth while Concept 2 sought to undertake minor renovations and provide seven years of potential growth, at which point the building would be converted into a civic services facility,” Gordon said.

“While both of these concepts provided many advantages, the RCMP and city administration felt they did not satisfy a long enough growth forecast given the investment that would be required.”

According to the 2023 report, Concept 1 was expected to cost around $96 million, while Concept 2, which staff were expected to recommend be chosen, came with a price tag of $77 million.

The new RCMP detachment that is being proposed as Concept 3 is expected to have a maximum value of approximately $148.2 million, which staff say includes $28.5 million in allowances for escalation and construction risk.

In addition to the construction funding, the city will carry a $1.8 million reserve for internal costs, which staff say necessitates the need to borrow $150.7 million

“The project team has accounted for labour increases in the integrated project delivery contract, but potential escalation costs for materials will be handled separately through the escalation reserve,” the report said.

“Given the unprecedented cost of inflation, supply chain issues and global uncertainties related to materials, staff believe this approach is best to mitigate risks the city may face in the future.”

You can find the entire report heading before city council on Jan. 14 here.