Edmonton’s new remand centre will be built in the city’s north end next to the Edmonton Young Offender Centre at 127 Street and 186 Avenue.
Institutional
No decision made on what will happen to the current remand facility
EDMONTON
Edmonton’s new remand centre will be built in the city’s north end next to the Edmonton Young Offender Centre at 127 Street and 186 Avenue.
Government announced $308 million to build the new facility in July 2006. The state-of-the-art building will replace the 27-year-old Edmonton Remand Centre located in downtown Edmonton. “Throughout the site selection process, public safety and neighbourhood concerns were a priority, and this site has good buffer zones on all four sides,” said Luke Ouellette, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation.
“In addition, the province already owns the land, which expedites the project and helps reduce costs.”
Other considerations in the selection process included:
• size of site and its ability to accommodate future expansion;
• zoning requirements;
• costs (land, construction and operations); and
• environmental issues.
Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security, Fred Lindsay added that this project reaffirms the government’s commitment to provide safe and secure communities. “This site allows us to build a facility large enough to deal with the overcrowding in our current facility, the expected rise in remand population and help ensure a safe work environment for our staff.
Although the new site is farther away from the Edmonton Law Courts, videoconferencing will be used to reduce the number of inmates transferred to and from court.
This will mean more efficient court operations and improved safety for the public, staff and inmates.”
Three other sites were examined:
• adjacent to the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre;
• north of Alberta Hospital (northeast Edmonton); and
• north of the current centre’s downtown location.
The selected site is 16-hectares or about the size of 27 CFL football fields.
An open house to discuss the project will be held March 6, 2007. The public can attend between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Edmonton Young Offenders Centre at 18621 – 127 St.
No decision has been made on what will happen to the current remand centre once the new facility is open.
The Edmonton-based firm of O’Neill O’Neill Procinsky Architects has been awarded the design contract for the new facility. The company has extensive experience in designing correctional facilities.
Preliminary designs will be ready this summer. Construction of the new facility to house up to 2,000 inmates could get underway this fall and take between three and five years to complete.
This project is one of the actions under Premier Ed Stelmach’s plan to provide safe and secure communities.
Other priorities for the government are to govern with integrity and transparency, manage growth pressures, improve Albertans’ quality of life and build a stronger Alberta.
JOC NEWS SERVICE
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