Fort Macleod’s $122-million police college project remains on track.
The province intends to award the contract to build the Alberta Public Security and Law Enforcement Training Centre contract early in June.
Town of Fort Macleod economic development officer Martin Ebel said last week construction will start quickly.
“They’ll pretty much have to start moving dirt right away,” Ebel said.
Ebel provided an update on the police college project on Thursday during the annual general meeting of the Fort Macleod Chamber of Commerce.
The Alberta Public Security and Law Enforcement Training Centre is to train 250 police recruits, 250 sheriffs and corrections officers, 250 community peace officers and 600 professional development students each year.
Ebel told 20 members at the meeting the April 23 provincial election did not slow progress on the police college project.
“We’re down to the last few weeks that the three construction companies that are finalists for the project will be submitting their bids to Alberta Infrastructure,” Ebel said.
The province is scheduled to award the contract in June, with construction of the police college to be done in time for it to open in September 2014.
“That is still the deadline,” Ebel said.
Ebel old Chamber members Town of Fort Macleod development officer Rhonda Day is taking calls from all three construction companies every week.
“They’re trying to finalize their bids,” Ebel said.
The companies have been on the police college site doing soil testing and other work.
“It is moving ahead,” Ebel said. “Within about a month, month and a half, we should start to see dirt moving in earnest on that site.”
Ebel said Fort Macleod and district businesses still have a chance to get involved in construction of the $122-million police college.
Local companies and tradespeople interested in being involved in the construction are to contact the three prime contractors who are finalists for the project.
“The goal behind that was to ensure that all local businesses have every opportunity to be involved,” Ebel said.
The contacts are:
- PCL Construction Management Inc., Darren Brietzke, 403-769-3237 or djbrietzke@pcl.com.
- Cana Management Ltd., Elena Dmitrieva, 403-262-6246 or dmitrievae@cana.ca.
- Bird Design-Build Construction Inc., Terry Bateman, 403-319-0470 or terry.bateman@bird.ca.
The companies will inform potential suppliers of what additional information they may require to further consider an application.
“Hopefully, regardless of which of the three big companies that is selected, there will be work for our local businesses,” Ebel said.