For years, Leah Cleevely's home has been under siege by people released from the Surrey Pre-Trial Services Centre, so her reaction to news it will be expanded isn't surprising.

"Thanks a lot," Cleevely said Wednesday. "Thanks for all the concern about the community."

B.C. Attorney General Kash Heed announced Wednesday morning that Surrey won its bid to be the site for the region's new remand centre.

Delta and Vancouver had also expressed interest in the project.

The 180-bed facility will be built as an expansion to Surrey's current 150-bed pretrial centre near city hall and the law courts at 142 Street and Highway 10.

The province has a $185-million budget for pretrial capacity expansion, but that includes an addition to cells in Prince George and upgrades to the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women.

"We would like this centre completed by 2013," Heed said.

Victoria had originally wanted to build the centre in Burnaby at the former Willingdon youth detention centre, but backed away after fierce opposition from Burnaby residents.

Heed said the alternative sites were rated on nine factors, including cost, zoning, environmental impact and accessibility to major transportation routes.

"At the end of the day Surrey came out as the top location for us to build this remand centre," adding the city's desire to have the jail was the top consideration.

Cleevely is unsure what will happen to her neighbourhhood now that Surrey has been awarded the expanded centre.

Every week, she has inmates who have been released coming to her door wanting to borrow matches or use the phone, and bikes and other items have been stolen from her yard.

Living within shouting distance from the existing pretrial centre, Cleevely used to hear inmates cat-calling women who walk by before cell windows were sealed by the facility warden.

Elevating her anxiety is the fact she runs a daycare out of her home.

“They should be building them [prisons] out in the Valley, not in the centre of the city,” Cleevely said.

Heed said the province and Surrey will work with an existing citizens advisory board to address local issues arising from the expansion.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts said she will meet with Cleevely next week to discuss her concerns.

Watts promises the city will undertake a thorough public consultation process as part of the project.

"If there are issues like that, they need to be addressed," Watts said. "In terms of any issues in the community, I will personally set up additional (consultation)."

The remand centre is considered a significant economic driver. The jail is expected to generate 250 jobs, $15 million in salaries, $3 million in supply contracts and up to $800,000 in grants in lieu of property taxes to the host municipality.

Watts said the announcement is "good news" for Surrey.

"We have the justice centre, we have the existing remand centre that is seriously overcrowded," Watts said. "With the expansion, that will bring in another 250 jobs."

kdiakiw@surreyleader.com

~with files from Jeff Nagel