The Government of Alberta has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the demolition of the former Edmonton Remand Centre. The remand centre was built specifically as a corrections facility and it would not be cost effective for the government or private sector to repurpose for any other use.
Demolition of the former Edmonton Remand Centre will start this year to make space for new developments in downtown Edmonton.
“Fiscal responsibility matters and demolishing this unused facility is the best choice for Alberta’s bottom line. We will be saving tax dollars on the upkeep of an old, empty building, while opening the door for future development opportunities for downtown Edmonton,” said Minister of Infrastructure Nathan Neudorf.
Demolition is expected to be complete in 2025, after which the land will either be sold or repurposed for another facility.
The former remand facility has not housed inmates since April 2013 when the new Edmonton Remand Centre opened. The former site was decommissioned in 2019 to save approximately $1 million per year in upkeep costs.
Demolition of the former Edmonton Remand Centre, which is located on 97th Street and 104th Avenue, across from the Royal Alberta Museum, is expected to begin in June 2023 and take approximately 18 months to complete.
The former Edmonton Remand Centre was originally built in 1979 and is approximately 18,500 square metres.
Between 2013 and 2019, the facility was sporadically used as a government training site, as temporary severe weather winter shelter in support of Boyle Street Community Services and as a filming location for a variety of film and television projects.
