New Royal Alberta Museum building to be constructed in 2011

The province has announced that a brand new Royal Alberta Museum will be built, starting this year.

According to a news release from the province, the new building will feature twice as much gallery space as the current facility.

The new facility will be constructed on a new location in downtown Edmonton. The decision to move to a new location was made because of size constraints at the old location, and because the construction process would have forced the museum to close for a significant amount of time while the construction was in progress. As a result, the province says the cost to build on a new location will be less than the cost of trying to redevelop the old site.

The government will partner with the City of Edmonton to acquire the land on the corner of 103A Avenue and 99 Street to build the new building.

“Great urban centres around the world are known for their museums and cultural institutions. They help shape the character and fabric of a community, and bring the past to life,” said Premier Ed Stelmach in a written release. “This is an unprecedented opportunity to create a new provincial museum in the heart of Alberta’s capital city that will bring our province’s past, present, and future to life in new and compelling ways.”

The decision to move the museum downtown will also allow for direct access to the LRT and pedway systems. The hope is to draw thousands more visitors to the facility each year.

“We are going to challenge our community of talented designers and contractors to deliver a museum that reflects what our province has become and will become in the future,” emphasized Ray Danyluk, Minister of Infrastructure. “It will be a museum specifically developed to keep people coming back, with the capacity to continuously show Alberta’s growing history in motion.”

The current museum site will be retained. Government House will exist on the site, and a new residence for the Lieutenant Governor will be constructed on the site.

The new museum building is expected to cost a total of $340M. The 2011 provincial budget allows for $180M for the first three years, which includes a contribution of $30M from the federal government.

The province hopes to have the new facility open by 2015.