Partnership will build courthouse
Justice Province to seek proposals from developers to build $47-million structure at former Y location and lease new complex back to government
John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal
Published Wednesday December 19th, 2007
Appeared on page C1
SAINT JOHN - The province unveiled its portion of the police-justice complex north of Union Street Tuesday, releasing drawings of the $47-million courthouse and giving final commitment to building on the site of the former YMCA-YWCA.
"This is the worst-kept secret in the world," said Saint John East MLA Roly MacIntyre, minister of Supply and Services. "I've announced it about four times."
There was plenty of new information, however.
Standing in a ballroom at the Delta Brunswick hotel, MacIntyre told a crowd of about 100 politicians, community leaders, judges and lawyers that the five-storey justice building will be built through a private-public partnership.
"Similar to the Moncton courthouse, we will be asking private developers to come forward and demonstrate their expertise and experience, as well as capacity to develop this project for Saint John," he said, noting that the Moncton courthouse had received nine bids. "They must be able to construct, own, finance, and operate the new facility and lease it back to the province."
The police-justice complex is the province's portion of what is expected to be an approximately $100-million development, which will include the courthouse, a public green space, a new police headquarters built by the city, and a parking garage. The justice building is meant to increase security while amalgamating three often-inadequate courthouses spread throughout the city. It will also accommodate the eventual closure of courts in Hampton and Sussex.
The large building will have a significant impact on the look of the city, and it's hoped the complete police-justice project will revitalize an often tired-looking Union Street. As Justice Minister and Attorney General T.J. Burke put it, "It will transform the face of the city and the skyline of uptown Saint John."
MacIntyre said the Liberal government has allocated $2.4 million to "advance the design work" and develop a request for proposals for construction of the courthouse.
MacIntyre said the Y will be torn down in the next couple of months, and the courthouse should open in 2010. The courthouse will be 11,655 square metres, with 13 courtrooms and office space for the judiciary, court services, public prosecutions, the Barristers Society, sheriff services, Public Safety, and policing.
MacIntyre said the province will not scuttle the historic Sydney Street courthouse when it closes, and the government won't sell the building unless it can be assured that a private owner will save the building's heritage aspects, including its spiral staircase.
The conceptual drawing unveiled at the news conference showed a building with columns and a staircase in front, lots of windows, and an angular design that still avoids the boxiness that has caused controversy at other developments in Saint John, including the Human Resources Development Canada building at the old General Hospital site.
Architect Malcolm Boyd of Murdock Boyd Architects said the fourth and fifth levels will house the Court of Queen's Bench, while the third and main level will house provincial court, with other offices below. The structure will be built into a hillside, since there is a substantial slope downward from Hazen Avenue to the Mercantile Centre.
Boyd says the exterior of the building will be stone or precast concrete, with marble or granite columns. The building will have lots of natural light, even in courtrooms, he said.
Much of the interior of the buildings will be in triplicate, to keep the public, the judiciary, and the accused separate. For instance, there are three sets of elevators, one for each group. While most of the staff at the building will likely use the parking garage that is part of the complete project, judges will be able to park their cars underground.
The design stresses safety, but Boyd said that the three-storey lobby inside the entrance will be flexible enough to act as a public space for ceremonies.
The building does not have an entrance for prisoners, nor its own holding cells. They will be in the police station.
The province says the final details would have to be built into the public-private partnership, but Mayor Norm McFarlane said he expects the province and the city will be sharing costs of the detention centre, the parking garage, a tunnel between the two buildings, and the area where prisoners are brought to the building.
The city is also considering connecting both facilities to the parking garage through pedways.
The development as a whole generated some controversy in the past several weeks, as Deputy Mayor Michelle Hooton and some community leaders said the project had moved along too far without public consultation. City manager Terry Totten promised in the 2008 budget that the city will take great care to ensure that citizens' concerns will be dealt with.
Hooton and the police-justice steering committee seem to have stopped feuding. Coun. Chris Titus, a committee member, said during budget discussions Monday that Hooton had brought the proper context to the discussion by pushing for public consultations.
Further, Hooton said she was happy with the design of the provincial building as presented Tuesday. "You look at that building, and you see the Y there now, and it's kind of remarkable," she said.
The city plans to spend $4.4 million on its portion of the project in 2008, most of that money being used to buy land. The heavier construction costs for the city's portion will be in 2009 and 2010 - about $20 million each year.
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