The Province has signed an agreement with Brookfield Partnerships Surrey to deliver the new high-security Surrey Pretrial Services Centre Expansion (SPSCE) project. This 216-cell project will more than double the centre's existing capacity.

This expansion is the centrepiece of the Province's historic $185-million capital plan to expand correctional facilities and accommodate the growing remand population.

Construction is beginning this summer and is expected to create 200 to 250 construction jobs and about 500 person-years of employment over the project's anticipated two-year life. Upon completion, it will provide the equivalent of 130 new, full-time positions, including 100 front-line correctional officers.

Brookfield Partnerships Surrey entered into a fixed-price, performance-based partnership agreement with the Province to design, build, finance and maintain the SPSCE project over a 30-year operating term. All correctional services will continue to be funded by the Province and delivered by BC Corrections. The total capital value of the project is $90 million, with completion anticipated in late 2013.

The project will be designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, the highest level of sustainability ever achieved in a correctional facility in British Columbia. Expected benefits from the design include an improved working environment for staff and lower operating costs over time as a result of reduced energy consumption and water use, abundant natural light and improved indoor air quality.

The project will also deliver numerous innovations in design and surveillance, providing a safer operating environment for staff and inmates.

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
250 356-6961

Surrey Pretrial Services Centre Expansion (SPSCE) project

In June 2011, Brookfield Partnerships Surrey was selected to carry out the final design and construction of the SPSCE project after a rigorous competitive selection process. The project agreement makes certain that Brookfield Partnerships Surrey delivers the project on time and on budget and assumes all construction, design, long-term building maintenance, lifecycle repair and renewal and operational risks over the life of the 30-year partnership agreement.

Brookfield Partnerships Surrey is a consortium led by Brookfield Financial Corp. and members include both international and B.C. based companies, which include:

Private Partner: Brookfield Infrastructure Partnerships Surrey

Developer & Financial Advisor: Brookfield Financial Corp.

Equity Investors: Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P.

Forum Equity Partners Inc.

Senior Lender: The Canada Life Assurance Company

Design Builder: PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc.

Facilities Manager: Honeywell Limited

Design Team Lead: DGBK Architects

Corrections Advisor: Jug Island Consulting Ltd.

Remand populations are on the rise everywhere in Canada, hitting an all-time annual average high of 1,429 in 2008-09 - an increase of 69 per cent over the average remand count five years ago. The provincial government's unprecedented support for policing has also led to increased enforcement and a greater need for remand capacity.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
250 356-6961