The City of Stratford is officially moving forward with plans for a new police headquarters.
According to an official statement from the city, municipal leaders at the August 10 council meeting officially approved a plan to acquire and renovate the former ScotiaBank property located at 10 to 52 Wright Boulevard, establishing it as the future headquarters for the Stratford Police Service.
The project carries an estimated price tag of $36 million, combining $12 million for the property purchase with $24 million dedicated to extensive structural and technical upgrades. These renovations are needed to implement essential security features, dedicated prisoner transit areas, and advanced communications infrastructure.
The new location will replace the current police station at 17 George Street, which has served the municipality for decades but can no longer accommodate modern police operations.
"The existing Stratford Police Service headquarters at 17 George Street was built in 1963 and has been identified as undersized, inefficient, and inadequate for the current and future needs of the police service," the city stated.
While retrofitting the George Street location was evaluated, estimates indicated renovations would cost up to $40 million without addressing severe site constraints, parking deficits, or accessibility issues. Constructing a completely new facility elsewhere was projected to cost up to $55 million before land costs.
"The Wright Boulevard property remains the lowest-cost viable option for a new headquarters," the statement noted.
Funding for the $36 million undertaking will be drawn from capital reserves, long-term debt, development charges, and potential revenues from selling surplus municipal land (including 17 George Street), and industrial land adjacent to the Wright Boulevard building. Local officials expect the overall impact on property taxes to remain manageable by spreading the capital costs over many years.
"Stratford Police would continue to maintain a visible presence downtown, regardless of the headquarters location," according to the city.
