Worth the delay? Province won't say latest cost for new Fredericton courthouse
Cost concerns led to previous delays
The New Brunswick government won't say how much it's now expected to cost to finish a new Fredericton courthouse, a project the province has twice halted over its cost.
The province announced this week it had awarded a construction management contract to Ontario-based Bird Construction.
The announcement included no update about the cost of the project and the province wouldn't provide the information or details about the other bids.
"While the construction management contract has been signed by Bird Construction, the revised total estimated project cost still requires approval of the government later this spring, following closing of the current tenders by the construction manager," Bruce Macfarlane, a spokesperson for the province, said in an email.
Opposition want figures
Liberal MLA Chuck Chiasson, the party's infrastructure critic, said he wants to know the new estimated cost of the project.
"I think the province needs to come clean," Chiasson said.
Chiasson said he believes the old cost estimate was an underestimation and that with inflation the cost will only have gone up.
"I don't think by tendering it out to a management company that they're going to realize the savings that they wanted to see," Chiasson said.
"Surprise, surprise," Green Party Leader David Coon said of the lack of details.
"Because it's going to be way higher than the original cost that was quoted back in 2017 and, you know, we're five to seven years out now, and so the cost is going to be a lot higher on top of the money they've already wasted."
In 2017, the Liberal government under Premier Brian Gallant approved a new courthouse in a refurbished Centennial Building.
It was estimated to cost $76 million and would replace the Queen Street courthouse that's had security, flooding and maintenance problems.
It was among the projects Premier Blaine Higgs cancelled after taking office in 2018 after $13 million had already been spent.
Construction of the new courthouse is now expected by spring 2026. (Joe McDonald/CBC)
In 2021, the Higgs government announced it would go ahead with a new courthouse — on a different site — at an estimated cost of $60 million.
Attorney General Ted Flemming said at the time it was clear the Queen Street building was in an unacceptable condition.
"Not only was it just unacceptable, I believe that you could almost make a case that WorkSafe [N.B.] should have closed the place," Flemming said at the time.
Site preparation for the location on King Street was completed in May 2022 and the foundation and steel framing were completed last spring. Then the work halted.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure cancelled the main tender for construction after the lone bid from EllisDon came in "substantially over budget" at $93.27 million.
A gaping hole was left where the cancelled courthouse was supposed to be built on the rear of the Centennial Building. (Shane Fowler/CBC)
Last year, the province went back to market for a construction management company.
At the time, it said it wanted the company in place by the end of 2023, though the company was only announced this week.
Bird will oversee the final phase of construction, which a news release says is expected to start this spring.
Coon is glad to see progress.
"The courthouse has been sitting there for months and months and months with the steel skeleton going nowhere."
Coon said the delay affects University of New Brunswick's plans for the Queen Street building.
The existing courthouse, once the new one opens, will become the new home of the university's law school.
The federal government, province and university announced last year they will collectively spend $62 million to renovate the building. At the time of that announcement, the law school expected to move there in 2025.
However, the latest news release about the new courthouse says it is now expected to be complete by spring 2026. The province didn't say when it is expected to open.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
lack of details. "
Too Too Funny
Let it be a ............ Surprise!!!
David Amos
Reply to rick haars
Obviously I concur
Denis Van Humbeck
I think its time the province start making the criminal code laws instead of the federal government.
David Amos
Reply to Denis Van Humbeck
I disagree
Graham McCormack
Reply to Denis Van Humbeck
What does that have to do with the cost of building a new courthouse?
Benny Swim
Reply to Denis Van Humbeck
What does that have to do with a decision that was made by Blaine Higgs that is costing us millions of dollars and counting?
Lou Bell
What he saved us with the 130 million undisclosed expense by the Liberals should more than cover the cost of the new courthouse and take the old one in Fredericton and the old one in Burton off the provinces books , so it's another Higgs win for all NB !
Lou Bell
Reply to Lou Bell
Many naysayers can't see the forest for the trees .
Graham McCormack
Reply to Lou Bell
Give it a rest! That is over and done with - long ago.
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to Lou Bell
Cry me a river
We all want figures. I'm not sure who this government think they are not to be accountable to the people of this province. Higgs has such a sense of entitlement and thinks he can do what he wants, when he wants without having to explain himself. Time to vote him out.
Samual Johnston
Reply to Sarah Brown
No one is saying we won’t see the numbers. They will be released at some point. Really what difference does it make? The government is in charge of spending … not like they need to have everyone’s approval.
David Amos
Reply to Samual Johnston
True If so they would never get it
Graham McCormack
Reply to Samual Johnston
Public has a right to now how much the Higgs' screw ups on this are costing the taxpayer.
Samual Johnston
Reply to Graham McCormack
Why right now? Why not next month?
Sarah Brown
Reply to Samual Johnston
While the government may be in charge of spending, they are wreck less and irresponsible about. It makes all the difference. They need to be accountable and transparent which thruhav
Sarah Brown
Reply to Samual Johnston
They have not been for a very long while
Samual Johnston
Reply to Sarah Brown
Well that is the opinion of some. Others see the financial responsibility of this government and despite the many issues that all governments and leaders have we are still probably much better off keeping this crew than electing any of the others.
Graham McCormack
Reply to Samual Johnston
Why not right now? The contract has been awarded, what is there to hide?
David Amos
Reply to Graham McCormack
Higgy does not want that number in his current budget
Reply to Graham McCormack
“While the construction management contract has been signed by Bird Construction, the revised total estimated project cost still requires approval of the government later this spring, following closing of the current tenders by the construction manager“
Reply to Sarah Brown
Reply to Samual Johnston
Denis Van Humbeck
This will not speed up our slow justice system.
David Amos
Reply to Denis Van Humbeck
What system? Justice is a myth
Denis Van Humbeck
Reply to David Amos
Exactly.
Marcel Belanger
This complete snafu on the part og Higgs will wind up costing the
province at least 3 times what the original one would have cost.
That one would be finished by now and the province would not still be
paying the rent for all those temporary offices etc..
The total costs of this fiasco need to be revealed asap.
David Amos
Reply to Marcel Belanger
Par for the course no matter who running the show
Samual Johnston
Reply to Marcel Belanger
Not sure it was a snafu per say. Who could have ever predicted the impact covid would have on our world. It is still hard to believe.
David Amos
Reply to Samual Johnston
IMHO The covid nonsense dreamt up by Cardy was the biggest snafu of all
Graham McCormack
Reply to Samual Johnston
They cancelled contracts twice, they screwed up.
Reply to Graham McCormack
Lou Bell
At least there'll be something to sahow for it once built , unlike the 130 undisclosed millions the liberals were gonna spend .
Graham McCormack
Reply to Lou Bell
You need something new to bring up.
David Amos
Reply to Graham McCormack
Amen
Allan Marven
Long as Higgs is the first one tried in there, It'll be worth it. Tucker Carlson for premier!!
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to Allan Marven
Welcome back to the circus
David Amos
Reply to Allan Marven
Surely you jest
Geordan Mann
Higgs is a great numbers guy. An expert in hiding them from the public.
David Amos
Reply to Geordan Mann
C'est Vrai
Allan Marven
Reply to Geordan Mann
You think?
Donald Gallant
The secrecy is so disturbing!
David Amos
Reply to Donald Gallant
I love a mystery
Allan Marven
Reply to Donald Gallant
It's amazing the secrecy in Canada. In Maine, you can hear about who shot who, last night, and why...on the radio.
MR Cain
With N.B. only having a population of a little over 800,000 people ; why does government need to build these massive Taj Mahal like CourtHouses ....and why are they moving the Law School from the UNB Campus down to the old Courthouse downtown when they already have a building on campus . It almost seems like there is a group of people sitting around somewhere , and trying to think of ways to squander taxpayer cash needlessly ......meanwhile Canadians Canada wide are being crushed with taxes and inflation . It just never seems to end .
Reply to Matt Steele
Reminds me of a quote attributed to Ed Broadbent. "I am not a lawyer, but I do have many other faults". Speaking of Taj Mahal, have you seen some of these lawyers offices, requiring $400 plus per hour billings?
David Amos
Reply to David Webb
Broadbent was funny dude
MR Cain
Donald Bowser, an international expert on political corruption, says he is "shocked to discover that there is less transparency in New Brunswick than in Kurdistan, Guatemala or Sierra Leone..."
Rosco holt
Reply to MR Cain
Look who we have has Premier.
Sam Brown
Reply to Rosco holt
Do not blame the politician.....Blame the people who put them office..
Good Day
David Amos
Reply to Sam Brown
Amen We get the governments we deserve
MR Cain
Reply to Rosco holt
Please, don't remind me.
MR Cain
Reply to Sam Brown
Not a good day.
Samual Johnston
Reply to MR Cain
So do you believe this expert?
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