The Province is building new law courts in Abbotsford to keep pace with growth in the lower Fraser Valley, one of B.C.’s fastest-growing regions. Three proponent teams have been shortlisted for the project, which is estimated to create over 1,000 jobs during the course of construction.  

Once built, the law courts are expected to double the capacity of the current courthouse, with opportunity to expand further. The new 14-room law courts will include three Supreme Court law courts, eight provincial court courtrooms and three judicial conference rooms. The facility plans also incorporate justice-sector programs, such as the BC Prosecution Service, community corrections, and a Justice Access Centre, as well as a parkade to supplement parking requirements for the City of Abbotsford.

The new law courts will be constructed within the city centre civic precinct, on land leased to the Province by the City of Abbotsford, and will be open and operating in 2021.

The $150-million project will be procured as Design-Build-Finance-Maintain, or a Public-Private Partnership (P3), with the procurement process managed by Partnerships BC. The project will proceed through requests for proposals in 2017, with design and construction expected to commence in mid-2018. To date, three proponent teams for the 30-year contract have been shortlisted for the project, including the following:

CBB Partnerships

• Concert Infrastructure Ltd.
• Brookfield Financial Securities LP
• Bird Capital Limited Partnership
• Bird Design-Build Construction Inc.
• CGL Companies, LLC
• MMM Group Limited
• Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions

EllisDon Infrastructure Justice

• EllisDon Capital Inc.
• NORR Architects Planners Inc.
• Aspyr
• EllisDon Design Build Inc.
• EllisDon Facilities Services Inc.
• SNC-Lavalin Operations & Maintenance Inc.

Plenary PCL Justice

• Plenary Group (Canada) Ltd.
• PCL Investment Canada Inc.
• PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc.
• WZMH Architects
• Smith + Andersen
• Johnson Controls Canada LP

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