Chris Jardine knows what the city’s newest building is going to be named, but he isn’t sharing it yet.
“Something,” the general manager of community and protective services replies when asked what the name will be. “Tied to the history of St. Albert.”
So for now the latest acquisition will simply go by its former name as the MIG building. It’s located on Bellerose Drive, right off the parking lot of Canadian Tire, and is now the home of 25 city workers making up three different departments.
Starting back in March city staff with Recreation Services and Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) started moving into the building, which the city bought last year. With some renovations, the total cost works out to roughly $5.4 million.
It was Jardine, then filling in as acting city manager, who listed the MIG building as well as several others as a possible second space not for city staff but specifically for the RCMP. Both the detachment and St. Albert Place have grown increasingly cramped due to staff conditions. This was the city’s way of creating a little more elbow room.
So last week, on the second floor, members of the RCMP’s traffic section, drug unit, community policing unit, general investigative services (GIS) unit and criminal intelligence unit moved in.
But this isn’t a second police place for the public to pay for tickets or lodge complaints, Jardine said.
“There will be nothing on this building that says RCMP,” Jardine says. “This is administrative space, office space for the guys on the street, not for walk-in traffic. We don’t want anybody confused about showing up here. The main detachment is the main detachment.”
The three city departments aren’t the only ones taking up space in the building. The St. Albert Food Bank & Community Village is also set up here, which FCSS director Scott Rodda said is ideal as FCSS clients can easily access the food bank and vice versa.
“This is just excellent. It’s in the community, with recreation, and the RCMP upstairs and the food bank right next door,” Rodda says. “(The food bank) is a really strong partner so it’s good to be here.”
Down a hallway from FCSS is Recreation Services and Major Projects and Parks Planning Manager John Younie is munching on some carrots. He and director Monique St. Louis say they are quite happy with their new space.
“The dynamics of the building are different than St. Albert Place,” Younie said between bites. “St. Albert Place has brick, higher ceilings, glass and metal. This has suspended ceilings, carpet, drywall and not as many bodies, so I’ve noticed the noise is quite a bit reduced.”
The name will come eventually, but it won’t be the only one. While a ceremony will be held May 22 to announce the name of the MIG building, on May 29 the city will finally christen the RCMP detachment something other than the RCMP detachment.
Besides painting a few new parking lines, only the public art installation needs to be done. The city has sent out a $50,000 request for proposal – 10 per cent of the total value of the building, as per city policy – for artists to submit their ideas. The winner will get to put their mark on the front of the building.
“This is your canvas,” Jardine says. “Give us your proposals.”
