A best-of-both-worlds solution to the longstanding and debilitating space crunch at the Peterborough Police Service’s downtown headquarters was revealed on Friday afternoon (December 15).
The City of Peterborough will purchase the 13.3-acre property at 1421 Lansdowne Street West that was home to the former Johnson & Johnson medical products facility, clearing the way for a portion of the 106,000-square-foot building to be home to police administrative offices.
Meanwhile, the existing facility at 500 Water Street (at McDonnel Street) will house police operations including investigations, maintaining a police presence in the downtown core.
The city is buying the property from Calvary Pentecostal Church for $15 million, with the transaction expected to close in February 2024.
As part of the sale agreement, the church will use a portion of the building for up to five years.
According to a city media release, renovations to the building are expected to take place “over the next few years,” with estimates of renovation costs subject to city council budget approvals.
“With the City of Peterborough purchase of this property, the Peterborough Police Service will have two locations,” said Chief Stuart Betts, adding “This is important as the city is growing and will continue to grow.”
“It is also the most fiscally responsible solution and is intended to meet the needs of the police service for decades. It’s expected that the costs of the renovations will be significantly less than the cost of a new-build facility. Securing this property and being respectful of financial constraints was important to me and the police services board.”
Mayor Jeff Leal echoed that sentiment, noting the cost to construct of a new facility from scratch was estimated at $68 million in 2017.
“The property and construction costs would be much higher today,” said Mayor Leal. “With the former Johnson & Johnson property acquisition, we’re able to maintain the downtown police station on Water Street for police operations, add a second police facility for administrative and support services, and have additional land and building space for other municipal needs.”
“Even with the future renovation costs, this is the most financially responsible path, addressing a critical need,” Mayor Leal added.
As part of a police facility review process, the joint police-City committee engaged a consultant Shoalts and Zaback to identify downtown locations that could accommodate a single, purpose-built police facility.
However, the release notes “none of the identified sites were available.” In addition, “the cost to acquire them and demolish existing infrastructures to build a new facility was unacceptable.”
As first reported by kawarthaNOW in early October, former Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) executive director Terry Guiel called out the city and police service for a lack of transparency, urging that the consultants’ report being made public — something that is yet to happen.
Crediting sources close to the facility review committee, Guiel said the site chosen for a new facility was the Johnson and Johnson property, while also claiming the downtown police station would close as a result.
That drew a strong rebuke from Chief Betts who, in an email to kawarthaNOW, wrote that “a new facilities model is being explored and, at the heart of that new model, is maintaining our operational presence downtown.”
As things have turned out, both Guiel and Chief Betts have been proven correct: police will have a new facility at the former Johnson & Johnson property, but they will also continue to operate out of their current location.
“I strongly believe the presence of a police facility in the downtown area is a must,” Chief Betts said on Friday. “There is no intention to leave the 500 Water Street location. The current location at 500 Water Street will continue to be the base of operations and investigations.”
Meanwhile, Calvary Pentecostal Church pastor Michelle Mercer says the church’s use of part of the building for up to five years after the purchase is finalized buys time to plan for its next steps.
“We look forward to bright days ahead for Calvary (Pentecostal) Church and those overseeing the development of the city we are called to serve,” said Pastor Mercer, adding negotiation with the city and the police service has been “a very positive experience.”
