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Three teams shortlisted as private partner for new courthouse

Law courts in Abbotsford set to begin construction in mid-2018
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The existing Abbotsford courthouse is scheduled to be replaced by a new one, which will double its current capacity, by 2021. The existing Abbotsford courthouse is scheduled to be replaced by a new one, which will double its current capacity, by 2021.

Three “proponent teams” have been shortlisted as private partners for the new Abbotsford courthouse.

The selected team will enter a 30-year contract to design, build, partially finance and maintain the new courthouse under a public-private partnership with the provincial government.

The procurement process for the $150 million project will be managed by Partnerships B.C.

The project will proceed through requests for proposals in 2017, with design and construction expected to begin in mid-2018.

The new law courts will be constructed within the civic plaza – in the area of Trethewey Street and George Ferguson Way – on land leased to the province by the City of Abbotsford, and are expected to be complete in 2021.

Once built, the law courts are expected to double the capacity of the current courthouse, with opportunity to expand further.

The new 14-room courthouse will include three Supreme Court law courts, eight provincial court courtrooms and three judicial conference rooms.

The plans also incorporate justice-sector programs, such as the BC Prosecution Service, community corrections, and a Justice Access Centre, as well as a parkade.

The project is estimated to create more than 1,000 jobs during construction.

A preferred-proponent announcement is expected in March 2018 and financial close is slated for May of the same year.

The province stated in May of this year that it would ask a private partner to finance up to 60 per cent of the cost of the new courthouse, which was then estimated at $140 million.

Although the plan will reduce the upfront bill, it will cost millions in interest payments over three decades, according to the “request for qualifications” that was posted online.

The three proponent teams that have been shortlisted are:

CBB Partnerships

n Concert Infrastructure Ltd.

n Brookfield Financial Securities LP

n Bird Capital Limited Partnership

n Bird Design-Build Construction Inc.

n CGL Companies, LLC

n MMM Group Limited

n Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions

EllisDon Infrastructure Justice

n EllisDon Capital Inc.

n NORR Architects Planners Inc.

n Aspyr

n EllisDon Design Build Inc.

n EllisDon Facilities Services Inc.

n SNC-Lavalin Operations &Maintenance Inc.

Plenary PCL Justice

n Plenary Group (Canada) Ltd.

n PCL Investment Canada Inc.

n PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc.

n WZMH Architects

n Smith + Andersen

n Johnson Controls Canada LP

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A new Abbotsford courthouse is slated to be built in the civic plaza in the area of Trethewey Street and George Ferguson Way.