Image from West Grey Police Facebook page
Construction of the new West Grey Police Station is underway in Durham.
Mayor Kevin Eccles says construction began on Wednesday and is designed to accommodate the current police service as well as projected growth. The new build will also include energy efficiency upgrades to the HVAC systems and other green enhancements.
“It will be a better place for our service to work out of and be able to service the community with the ideas and services they require from our law enforcement agencies,” says Eccles.
This is the latest after West Grey Council approved awarding the contract for the build during a meeting in April.
Plans for the new $8.8 million build started in 2020, but were put on hold after the municipality launched a review into the service.
“They will have a home in place for hopefully another 75 years before we have to go through this process again,” says Eccles.
He adds there are currently no concrete plans on what to do with the current facility once the West Grey Police Service moves over.
“We haven’t fully expressed whether it stays in municipal land or something that would be put in place to cover off our housing dilemma that is not only in West Grey but in Ontario. Pretty prime space there right beside the river,” says Eccles.
The construction of the new station is estimated to take 16 months to complete and will be funded through the 2024 and 2025 budgets, as well as long-term borrowing.