Campus-style bureau anticipated
Feb 04, 2010 - 04:30 AM
By Jennifer Stone
CLARINGTON -- It's simply a matter of time before Clarington has a new police station, say officials.
Currently served by a small building just north of Hwy. 2 on Regional Road 57 in Bowmanville, Durham police say it's time to construct a building more suitable for the growing municipality.
"The current building is a rabbit's warren of offices," Chief Mike Ewles said. "It's terribly, terribly inadequate now."
Police will take their budget request to the Region's finance and administration committee next week. A new detachment for Clarington has been in the capital forecast for the last few years.
"If it doesn't happen (that it's budgeted for) in 2010, I'd be surprised," said Clarington Regional Councillor Charlie Trim.
Land acquisition for the new detachment is currently underway and while police aren't sharing the location, they do say it's likely to be a large enough plot to hold a campus-like facility with several separate buildings. The buildings would be built as financing allows, beginning with the detachment office.
"I think we'd be looking at a building similar to what's in Whitby," Chief Ewles said, referring to an approximately 40,000-square-foot, three-storey building recently constructed in that town.
A warehouse and Centre for Investigate Excellence is also expected to be built on the site eventually.
Though political approval has yet to be granted for the new Clarington detachment, "I would like to see a shovel in the ground as soon as possible," Chief Ewles said. "I anticipate if all things go according to plan ... (officers) would be in there by 2013."
But, there's still the matter of political approval.
"It's not a done deal until 28 people put up their hands and say yes," said Clarington Regional Councillor Mary Novak.
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