Canadian museum destined for demolition

The Alberta Infrastructure department of the provincial government of Alberta intends to oversee the demolition of the former Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) building in Edmonton, which was built in 1965.

The building served as the host of the RAM from 1965 until late 2015, when it was closed so museum staff could begin preparing for its move to a new building that officially opened in 2018.

"A new green space is being designed to take the place of the old building, creating a new site where families can gather again," an early-August announcement from Alberta Infrastructure says. "As part of this project, the vacant building will be demolished, while Government House and the Carriage House will remain on the site.”

The agency says residents are being invited to have their say on what they would like to see at the new space, including the potential to repurpose elements from the old building.

“The old Royal Alberta Museum building has been a part of our province for decades, and we know many Albertans have happy memories and sentimental stories from visits there," Alberta Minister of Infrastructure Pete Guthrie says. "The green space we’re planning will give residents and visitors the opportunity to create new memories in one of the nicest areas in Edmonton.”

According to Alberta Infrastructure, when the new museum was announced, residents were informed of significant issues with the old building. Based on feedback from the community, the agency says the possibility of renovating and repurposing the structure was investigated, but repairs and costs were deemed too extensive to be practical.

The cost to demolish the building is estimated between CAD$22 million ($16 million) and CAD$48 million ($35 million), including abatement, demolition, civil works and engineering.

Meanwhile, the cost of deferred maintenance on the structure is estimated to be CAD$75 million ($54.6 million), and the cost to repurpose the building for another use would have been at least CAD$150 million ($109 million), including the deferred maintenance cost. 

Alberta Infrastructure currently absorbs over CAD$700,000 ($509,000) in operating and maintenance costs annually even though the building is vacant, according to the agency.

A description on the Edmonton-based Capital Modern architecture and design website describes the now vacant museum as having been built with more than 43,000 square feet of exhibit space. The writeup says several different cuts of Tyndall stone, incorporating the native petroglyph designs of the stone which is quarried in southern Manitoba is a prominent exterior building material.