Site preparation for Sidney’s $10-million Community Safety Building continues just south of the Mary Winspear Centre, off the Patricia Bay Highway.
The 26,000-square-foot complex, designed by architect Bradley Shuya, will house the Sidney fire hall, B.C. Ambulance Services, a training facility, an emergency operations centre and the Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization.
When ground was broken in April, the completion date was estimated at fall 2018.
The town will pay just $1 a year to the Victoria Airport Authority for a lease thanks to a land swap made to facilitate the Sidney Crossing mall at the corner of the highway at Beacon Avenue.
The municipality plans to sell the existing fire hall and ambulance facilities on Third Street and use the proceeds to offset the cost of the building.
The building is designed to “post-disaster” standards so that emergency services can be provided to residents in the case of a moderate-to-severe earthquake.
Decontamination features are key in the building. They include a storage room for gear exposed to fire and hazardous atmospheres and a ventilation system to prevent contamination of common spaces.
There will also be a decontamination room and locker rooms with showers for first responders.
Next to the building will be a training tower and a space for conducting drills.
