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City tenders public safety building

The city is one step closer to erecting its new public safety building. Last week, the city issued a tender for the complex, which is to be built at the top of Two Mile Hill. It will go beside Fire Hall No.
firehall

The city is one step closer to erecting its new public safety building.

Last week, the city issued a tender for the complex, which is to be built at the top of Two Mile Hill.

It will go beside Fire Hall No. 2 and will be designed to “post-disaster standards,” enabling it to withstand almost any force of nature.

The project, which is budgeted at $10.4 million, will be funded by the city and from federal gas tax money.

“There has already been some interest shown from local and Outside contractors to do the project,” said city manager Dennis Shewfelt.

Blueprints drawn up by Charles A. McLaren Architects show a building with more than 1,400 square metres of office space, boardrooms, radio room and dorm areas.

The building will act as the city’s nerve-centre following a disaster.

Meeting spaces in the building will be used for emergency officials to plan a post-disaster response.

The new public safety building will also keep important public records and files safe from floods, earthquakes or whatever catastrophe that might wreak havoc on Whitehorse.

An additional 1,200 square metres will house equipment, storage bays and a fire-hose tower.

However, the building won’t include ambulance services.

Talks broke down between the city and the territorial government to see ambulances leaving from the public safety building rather than from the hospital.

The idea was that better and faster service could be achieved by having ambulances stationed in a more central location.

“The ambulance service was to be provided by the territory, but talks didn’t lead to any sort of conclusion,” said Shewfelt.

“So, it won’t be a part of the building.”

Construction on the building is set to begin this summer. It is expected to be completed by the summer of 2010.

Contact Vivian Belik at

vivianb@yukon-news.com