Plans to build a new RCMP detachment in Faro have hit a snag after all of the bids for the project came in over budget.
The building was supposed to cost $4.11 million to build, using a combination of federal and territorial money.
Four bids came in, said Kendra Black with the Yukon Department of Highways and Public Works. The lowest bid was $5.54 million. The highest was $7.732.
The tender was officially cancelled this week.
The current Faro detachment was built in 1971. It is the oldest detachment by nine years, followed by Carcross.
The government has every intention of building Faro a new detachment, said Jeff Ford, the Department of Justice’s director of public safety and investigations.
“The government of Yukon and the RCMP are committed to advancing the construction phase of the project as soon as possible and we’re currently in discussions with the RCMP and Highways and Public Works about options for moving the project forward.”
Ford said they’re doing everything they can to make that happen this construction season.
Construction budgets are set by people who have knowledge of the area, the cost per square foot and the cost of similar projects, Black said.
For larger projects the government will bring in a consultant to help set a budget. Smaller budgets are set by local staff.
Black couldn’t say which method was used in this case.
All budgets are approved by the government’s management board and the legislature.
The cost of a project might be cut by making changes to the design, revising the scope of the project or adjusting the timeline, Black said. They could also go back and ask for more money.
If more cash needs to be added to the budget, it would have to go back through the management board process.
No decision has been made about what to do in this case, she said.