The province expects to announce as early as next month its public-private (P3) partnership to build the $110-million police college in Fort Macleod. Livingstone-Macleod MLA Dave Coutts said Wednesday there has been strong interest in a public-private partnership for the Alberta Police and Peace Officer Training Centre.

“It’s still on track,” Coutts said of a schedule that will see the first class of cadets at the college in the fall of 2010.

Coutts, who met Aug. 27 with Solicitor General Fred Lindsay to discuss the $110-million project, provided an update at the Rotary Club of Fort Macleod luncheon.

The Livingstone-Macleod MLA acknowledged people are anxious to see construction begin.

“Everybody’s waiting for the shovel to get in the ground,” Coutts said.

“When that happens, it will mean security for southern Alberta.”

People should not take the lack of activity on the police college site in southeast Fort Macleod as an indication the project is stalled.

“The curriculum is just about finished for the police college,” Coutts told Rotarians. “The plans are still being worked on and drawn up.”

One of the next key steps is finding an investor for the public-private (P3) partnership.

“Over the months a number of organizations have asked how they could get involved,” Coutts said. “The department has kept track of those organizations.”

The government has sent letters to those organizations asking for a formal expression of interest.

“After those letters come back they will be reviewed by the department,” Coutts said.

Friday, Aug. 31 was the deadline for expressions of interest. Government officials will study the responses over the next month.

“They were hoping to make an announcement in October,” Coutts said. “It is still on track.”

The police college will attract about 1,400 police and peace officer cadets each year to Fort Macleod.

The college will create 75 to 100 permanent jobs.

“There is still a lot of enthusiasm,” among police agencies that want the college built in Fort Macleod, Coutts said.