Real Estate
Opportunity Call for New Police Headquarters & Division 1 Station
Contact Us
Nader Adam Qawasmi
Senior Real Estate Consultant
[email protected]
Starting in 2021, Hamilton Police Service began a comprehensive review of its facilities to better understand how well they support modern policing needs.
The goal was to assess how current spaces function and identify opportunities to improve workplace organization, operational effectiveness, service delivery, and safety.
Following this work, the City of Hamilton and Hamilton Police Service are now considering a range of options beyond their existing site to accommodate their program. These options, amongst others, include leasing privately owned buildings or developing a new, purpose-built facility on private lands.
As such, the City of Hamilton is seeking qualified partners with property holdings and development expertise to deliver new Hamilton Police Service facilities.
A multi-stage selection process will be used to identify the proponent responsible for the design, construction, financing, and maintenance of the new HPS office & training Headquarters and Division 1 facilities.
Project Timeline
☑ Release of Partnership & Development Opportunity Call - Open to submissions from interested parties.
☐ Stage 1 - Proponents are to express interest and demonstrate their experience and capability to deliver civic institutional projects.
☐ Stage 2 - Shortlisted proponents will provide conceptual solutions.
☐ Stage 3 - Proponents will submit comprehensive technical and commercial proposals.
☐ Award & Contract Negotiations - Confidential commercial agreements, including seeking requisite Council and board approvals.
Submit Interest
Landowners, developers, and real estate professionals seeking to partner with the City of Hamilton are invited to review the call document.
Email interest and related information to [email protected] by January 30, 2026 at 4 p.m.
New Police HQ & Division 1 Station Project
Frequently Asked Questions
The current building is over 40 years old and no longer meet today’s needs. A new, modern space would allow HPS to work more efficiently, support staff well-being, and better serve the community for years to come.
A full review in 2021 showed the existing building has major problems—poor layout, outdated systems, safety issues, and not enough room to grow. Renovations would be expensive and disruptive, so we’re exploring better options.
The plan includes a new Police Headquarters, training space, and a new Division 1 station. These could be on one site or on separate sites.
Headquarters could be built anywhere in Hamilton, ideally in a location that’s easy to reach by transit. Division 1 must stay downtown. Proposals may include City-owned or privately owned land.
We haven’t decided yet. Some sites, like the current HQ, might be redeveloped depending on the final proposal.
We estimate it will be about 200,000 to 250,000 square feet, but we’re open to creative designs that use space efficiently and allow room for future growth.
We’re using a public-private partnership model called Progressive Design-Build-Finance-Maintain. This means the City works with a private team that helps design, build, partially finance, and maintain the building over a long-term agreement.
It helps us tap into private-sector expertise, share risks, spread costs over time, and ensure long-term upkeep—while keeping public oversight.
Ownership will be decided later. The most likely setup is a long-term lease, with the City having the option to buy the building in the future.
Instead of paying all construction costs upfront, the City would make lease payments over time. This approach supports good value for taxpayers and keeps costs predictable.
The building will follow the City’s Climate Action Strategy. We’re aiming for energy-efficient, low-carbon, climate-resilient design.
Yes. We’re open to partnering with compatible community organizations, services, or educational institutions if it makes sense.
There are three stages:
- Stage 1: identify partners and proposed opportunities
- Stage 2: work collaboratively with invited teams
- Stage 3: finalize technical and business terms of shortlisted proposals and choose a partner
All teams must follow strict rules around communication, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest. Clear evaluation criteria will be shared, and a fairness monitor will oversee later stages.
Yes. This early stage is non-binding, and the City can change or cancel the process if needed.
We expect to begin negotiating with a chosen partner in Winter 2026–2027.
Updates will be posted on this project webpage. Questions about the project can be emailed to [email protected].