N.L. government once again looking for someone to design replacement for aging HMP
CBC
Plans for a new prison to replace the decrepit Her Majesty's Penitentiary are going back to the design phase once again, and the Newfoundland and Labrador government is blaming rising costs.
A replacement of the aging prison was promised in 2019 — with an estimated price tag of $200 million — and scheduled to be completed in 2022. An access-to-information request in March 2022 revealed the government's "affordability ceiling" had grown to $325 million.
However, in a statement released Wednesday morning, the provincial government announced it was re-issuing a request for qualifications for the design of the new prison.
It cited increasing construction costs, which means the government wants to re-evaluate the project, "with an aim of procuring a new facility that is fiscally responsible, while maintaining the new planned programming," it stated.
The request for qualifications is for the first stage in a two-stage procurement process for the 280-bed correctional facility. After that process wraps, a request for proposals will follow for the design, building, financing and maintenance of the new prison.
The government has already spent millions of dollars on HMP's replacement and earlier this year a consortium that had won the contract submitted its finalized plan, including the cost and design.
Ministers John Abbott and John Hogan will be holding a press conference at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
In the meantime, Hogan said in the statement they are bringing in some additional "enhancements" at the existing jail, which could include temporary outbuildings, which he called "essential for the safety and well-being of staff and inmates until Her Majesty's Penitentiary is replaced."
Documents obtained by CBC News through an access-to-information request gave a look into the stark conditions inside the jail, including a proliferation of rodents, extreme heat, mould and staff shortages.
"Replacing antiquated infrastructure such as Her Majesty's Penitentiary is important in terms of improving service delivery, providing employment, as well as providing new infrastructure at a responsible cost to taxpayers," Abbott said in a statement.
"While we have altered the scope of the project to make it more economically feasible, our aim of providing a facility that meets the needs of both staff and inmates has not changed."
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