Police break ground on new investigative building in Beasley

A new building for police investigative services and forensics officially began construction in Hamilton's Beasley neighbourhood today.

The $25.8 million project is being funded in part with a mix of police reserves, city reserves and the land sale of the former Mountain station.

The police service is scheduled to complete its payments on a kind of mortgage for the current Mountain station this year, and will be assuming $14 million in debt for the new investigative building that officials say will carry the same payments as that Mountain mortgage.

The service expects to move intothebuilding in fall 2019.

The building will sit on a lot bounded by Rebecca, Mary, Wilson and Catharine streets in downtown Hamilton.

Police Chief Eric Girt said the building was "a long time coming."

DNA evidence wasn't a factor in processing crime scene evidence when the Central Station on King William Street was built.

"We're moving from the 1970s, when Central Station was built, in terms of forensics, to contemporary requirements for the forensic facility," he said.

Hamilton police board chair Lloyd Ferguson said the building represents "a new chapter" for the service and said it's the largest capital project in local police history.