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City of Wetaskiwin to divest of the Civic Building

Mayor Gandam: ‘Council believes that we must continue to find efficiencies for our community’
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Wetaskiwin Civic Building. Shaela Dansereau/ Pipestone Flyer

At their regular Nov.22, 2021 Wetaskiwin City Council meeting, council voted to divest of the Civic Building following the presentation of a Facility Utilization Review report.

The sale will be contingent on any future owner allowing the Wetaskiwin Archives to remain with the building as a leased space.

The city says that retaining the near-empty Civic building costs them approximately $266,000 per year due to building maintenance, utilities and insurance. Divesting of the property will allow the city to recoup some of the costs incurred over the years while also providing the future owner the ability to bring new services or office space to Wetaskiwin’s downtown core.

“Council believes that we must continue to find efficiencies for our community,” says Mayor Tyler Gandam.

“Being able to sell and potentially repurpose the Civic Building will not only save the City money but also offer the space to another business as a location for growth or development.”

The Civic Building, located at 4904 51 street in Wetaskiwin, has been owned by the city since its construction in 1964 to function as the city’s municipal office.

When the city relocated its municipal office to its current location in 2007 following renovations to the old courthouse buildings a few of the city’s departments remained working at the Civic Building. Since then all departments except for the Wetaskiwin Archives have relocated to other city-owned buildings.

“The Civic Building has become redundant since most City departments have vacated the premises,” stated Alan Harris, General Manager of Corporate Services.

“The sale of the building will increase efficiencies while also providing space for potential expansion opportunities for agencies or businesses.”

The Facility Utilization Review also recommended that the city divest of the Memorial Arts Centre. However, city council directed administration to conduct a community-wide survey on the importance of the Memorial Arts Centre to evaluate community needs risks before making a decision.



shaela.dansereau@pipestoneflyer.ca

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