With public acceptance made clear on financing construction of a new RCMP building, mayor and council voted Monday to proceed with the project.
The project will be expensive at about $39 million due to its size and technical nature, some of which has already been paid but some of which needed to be borrowed.
The amount to be borrowed - close to $26 million plus interest - will cost the average household $66 per year over 20 years.
According to the city's manager responsible, Rob Whitwham, the various construction tenders would soon be posted on the BC Bid website and with the construction associations of B.C. and Alberta.
The alternate approval process opposing the project was unsuccessful - had opponents won, a referendum would have been next step.
Mayor Dan Rogers said the proposal's success allows the bid process to hit its stride in the winter during a year of lesser construction activity in Western Canada.
This fact alone will save the city considerable money, he said.
"We want to be one of the construction projects the industry considers early in the season," Rogers said. "We think this will be a very attractive project, there will be a competitive atmosphere around the project, and that will be good for the taxpayer."
Prince George RCMP Supt. Brenda Butterworth-Carr said she expected to hear a lot of enthusiasm around the detachment the morning after the council meeting.
"I can tell you, they [RCMP members] will be thrilled," she said.
The building will be situated on Victoria Street on the western lot between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue. It has to comply with national and provincial standards for public safety and law enforcement, and it is also expected to be a contributor to the revitalization of downtown.
