After resisting calls to save the historic former home of the Royal Alberta Museum, the government will now accept proposals from the community to repurpose the building in central Edmonton.
“Albertans have a very strong connection to the former Royal Alberta Museum in Glenora,” said a statement from Infrastructure Minister Martin Long on Friday.
“We have heard your suggestions, your feedback and your ideas. We’re creating this opportunity to ensure that we explore all avenues for repurposing the site.”
The province has launched a request for proposals. Parties interested in repurposing the site are asked to submit their proposals through the Alberta Purchasing Connection. Submissions are open until Sept. 26.
“Alberta’s government is providing one final opportunity to explore proposals that would either maintain or repurpose the site and keep it as a significant feature in the City of Edmonton,” the news release said.
It comes five months after the same ministry said that even with significant investment, many areas of the building require demolition due to structural issues and contamination from hazardous materials.
Last summer, the province announced it had a date with the wrecking ball.
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The government’s plan for the former museum in the Glenora neighbourhood was to replace it with a green space surrounding the adjacent Government House, along 102 Avenue atop Groat Road.
The Ministry of Infrastructure justified demolition by saying that in addition to the $700,000 (including utilities) annual cost to maintain the old RAM, the building needs over $200 million in repairs and has no practical use. The cost of demolishing the old RAM building was pegged at somewhere between $22 million and $48 million.
“All critical systems including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, and water systems are well past life expectancy and require extensive maintenance or replacement,” the ministry in February said in a statement in February.
A task force group called ‘Save the Old RAM’ called for a moratorium to explore alternative possibilities.
Alberta Infrastructure said the about-face comes after it analyzed numerous options for the site by gathering input via an online survey, along with engaging with First Nations, community members and other organizations.
A new, bigger Royal Alberta Museum opened in downtown Edmonton in 2018, following a years-long move and setup of the new exhibits.
Since all the exhibits and artifacts in storage were moved out in 2016 and 2017 to advance of the museum’s move, the old building has languished empty for the better part of a decade.
The provincial museum opened in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s centennial and received royal designation and renaming during a visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005, to mark the province’s 100th anniversary.
The building is constructed with marble from Ontario and granite from Quebec, and decorated with ancient Indigenous petroglyphs.
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