Regional council approved a $1-million increase in a design contract to convert the former provincial courthouse on Frederick Street into a new Kitchener detachment for Waterloo Regional Police.

Council had approved the original contract with design firm Dialog Design Inc. in 2018 for $2.3 million, but voted Wednesday to bump that to $3.3 million.

The contract is for design, consulting and contract administration for the renovation and construction of the former courthouse at 200 Frederick St., just down the street from the current detachment at 134 Frederick St.

The total cost of the project, which will more than double the size of the Kitchener detachment, is now pegged at $48.9 million. Part of the increase was offset by lower than expected costs for furniture.

The increase was necessary because of extra costs from “unforeseen complexities” of adapting the building within its existing envelope, says a report to council. Areas such as the new cellblock for the police detachment, and adding floor area by adapting what had been two-storey courtrooms into other space, required more design work and building reinforcement, the report days.

The new detachment will also include a communications centre and traffic services.

The Region bought the former courthouse in 2017 for $6.4 million. The building has been vacant since 2013, when local court services were consolidated at the new regional courthouse at Frederick and Duke streets.

Construction on the new detachment began earlier this year and is expected to be done by the end of July 2022.

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