Regina Police Service headquarters unveiled following lengthy renovations

A look at new Regina Police Service headquarters WATCH: The Regina Police Service headquarters was unveiled on Thursday after years of construction. Halle Mandryk has more.

After years of construction and renovation, the Regina Police Service’s (RPS) additions to its headquarters are now mostly complete.

The new front entrance of the facility is now found at 1717 Saskatchewan Drive.

The largest portion of construction was the “Link” building, which connects RPS’s original facility with Headquarters West.

Work on the project began in 2017, when Regina police acquired the former Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) bus depot, located beside its original location.

RPS marked the completion of phase one of the $50.4 million project on Thursday.

“The official ribbon on the big building, well that's a long time away,” RPS Chief Evan Bray said.

“This is being done in phases. And so while we're successfully clapping about the conclusion of phase one, phase two, phase three still have to happen so we're going be probably 2025-2026 before we're actually complete.”

Phase two of the project will see the completion of the Municipal Justice Building, which is expected to begin full programming in January of 2024. The building will be used by the community and RPS and will feature gym space, offices and a community kitchen.

Meanwhile, phase three will see renovations to the Headquarters East, which are expected to wrap up in 2025.

According to Bray, the approach taken by the city has minimized costs while ensuring the facilities are prepared for expansion.

“This is a building for the future and a building for our community,” he said. “So, I'm excited about what this is going to look like in three or four years.”

Mayor Sandra Masters highlighted the need for accessibility and privacy.

“I think what you're looking at here is a very accessible building for folks with disabilities. For folks who may want the space when they're reporting a crime,” Masters said.

“As you've heard from the chief this morning, lots of times what they're dealing with is incredibly intimate, traumatizing things. So that ability to have private space is something that is open and spacious is really important for the community.”

According to Bray, RPS’s investigative teams will be moving back to the headquarters, which will require some retrofitting.

The Regina Police Service currently consists of 650 officers and other employees.

The headquarters will have its official public opening next week.