Stuart Olson Construction has been selected as the preferred proponent for the design-build contract for the $157 million Nanaimo Correctional Centre (NCC) Replacement Project in Nanaimo, B.C.

The medium-security Nanaimo Correctional Centre will be replaced, with a new facility to be constructed next to the current location at Brannen Lake. Plans call for a 106,347-square-foot facility with 226 cells, up from the current 190.

The NCC Replacement Project features modernized spaces for educational, vocational and certified trades training in addition to rehabilitative and culturally responsive Indigenous programming. It also includes Vancouver Island’s first provincial custody capacity for women with cell capacity to meet the projected Vancouver Island needs over the next 10 years.

The two local First Nations, Snuneymuxw and Snaw’Naw’As, will have input into the design as well as job and contract opportunities during construction. Construction will emphasize a net-zero energy-ready performance.

“We look forward to working with our partners and the local community to successfully deliver this important project. We are proud of the resume we have built in British Columbia and we are pleased to deliver this modern, improved facility to the community,” said Teri McKibbon, president and CEO of Bird Construction, who acquired Stuart Olson last year. “This project further advances our reputation as a strong institutional builder and expands our solid presence in British Columbia working on critical infrastructure projects.”

With contract signing forthcoming, design activities by Stuart Olson Construction are expected to commence in January 2021, with pre-construction proceeding in the first quarter of 2021.