Ground was broken at the site of the future office tower set to house city staff in Edmonton’s downtown core, with the Mayor and owner of the Oilers putting the first shovels in the ground.
The ceremony marked the start of construction on the building that will tower 27 storeys on the corner of 101 Street and 104 Avenue.
When it’s completed, it will house two-thirds of all City of Edmonton staff working in the city’s downtown core, a plan the city is looking forward to carrying out.
“This consolidation gives us an opportunity to improve efficiencies, reduce oru space needs by 25 percent, have access to a daycare for staff with young children and reduce the amount of time lost by staff travelling from building to building for meetings,” Garry Klassen, General Manager of Sustainable Development with the City of Edmonton said.
Currently, city staff are working in nine buildings in the downtown area, five of those buildings are leased, the other four owned.
Officials said the leases on three of those buildings will expire on or before March 31, 2016.
The city is planning to lease about 60 percent of the building when it opens – officials said services such as business and development permits, and pet licenses.
The building, that’s being developed in a joint venture between Edmonton’s Katz Group and WAM Developments, is expected to have a LEED Gold status.
Naming rights for the building are also retained by the city – it’s expected to open in the fall of 2016.
