Completion of new Ottawa police station in Barrhaven delayed to May 2027 due to unexpected issues with soft soil

The opening of a new Ottawa police station in Barrhaven has been delayed until 2027. CTV’s Peter Szperling has the details.

The timeline for opening a new Ottawa police facility in the city’s south end has been delayed until 2027, in part because of issues related to soft soil at the site that the Ottawa Police Service says was not discovered until construction began.

The facility at 3505 Prince of Wales Dr., near Carleton Lodge, is intended to replace the Leitrim and Greenbank police stations, as well as several leased properties across the city. A new 911 Communications Centre will be housed in the police facility.

The police station was initially expected to be operational in 2026, but on Friday, the Ottawa Police Service said the project has been delayed to May 2027.

Police attributed the delay to unfavorable soil conditions and associated piling work.

“While pre-construction geotechnical testing was conducted in line with leading practices, the full extent of below surface conditions became apparent only during piling work,” a news release said. “These challenges have since been resolved, and the project team does not anticipate any further issues.”

An Ottawa Police Service spokesperson described the issue as “soft soil found in many areas of Ottawa South.”

The building’s contractor, Broccolini Construction, is monitoring projects risks and has not identified any significant problems between now and when the facility opens, police said.

“It just took some time to correct what they found. And here we are,” Police Chief Eric Stubbs said Friday.

“Obviously, they’re not going to build what’s behind me unless there’s the solid base that’s up to up to code, up to standard.”

A “topping-off” recognition ceremony was held Friday to mark the completion of the building’s structural framework.

“We’re 50 per cent of the way there,” said Stubbs. “The steel is up, the concrete is in place, and the shape of this cell station is really coming into view.”

This, after a groundbreaking was held in November 2023 for the south facility project.

The Ottawa Police Services Board initially approved plans for the new station in 2013 but paused planning in 2021 due to rising construction costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Ottawa police say the project is currently under budget, the total cost of the facility has fluctuated over the years.

In January 2023, the price tag to build the new police facility in Barrhaven increased by $60 million to $178 million, up from the initial $118.2 million approved by the Ottawa Police Services Board in 2021.

In documents prepared for the Ottawa Police Service Board, the total cost is now given as $187.7 million, of which more than $138 million has already been spent.

“In terms of contingency spending, it is leading practice for all building constructions of this scope and scale to establish contingency budgets, and for these contingency budgets to be drawn upon during the project lifecycle. Overall, the project remains under budget. The Ottawa Police Service is ensuring value for money and stound stewardship of public funds,” a police spokesperson said.

Some of the Ottawa Police Service’s facilities are nearing the end of their use. The Greenbank and Leitrim facilities were identified by Police Chief Eric Stubbs as being “significantly past their life expectancy” and that renovations that would be required to support operations “would be very expensive and not wise investments.”

Neighbours in the area say they’re happy to see the project moving ahead.

“I’m happy with it. It’s nice to have police as a neighbour,” said Slim Cheffi. “When you have, police as a neighbour, it’s okay. It’s an advantage.”

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Pringle