A report heading to Edmonton city council next week says the estimated cost to demolish the Coliseum has spiked from $8 million to between $15 million and $25 million.
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“That figure that we’re quoting now – $15 to $25 (million) – is really, really high level,” City Manager Linda Cochrane said Friday.
“We haven’t done the analysis on the building to the extent that we’d want to do before we’d give an accurate cost to council.”
The annual operating costs in the vacant building would be about $1.5 million each year.
READ MORE: Edmonton’s Northlands Coliseum closing its doors in January
The city, through the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) and Northlands, has begun the transition of shifting employees into a new working arrangement. The operation of the Expo Centre will transfer over next month.
The city’s chief financial officer says there are between 60 and 70 full-time losses, but part-time employees are being transferred over to handle Expo Centre events.
“What we’ve brought over to EEDC is what we require to operate the EEDC site and to staff that to deliver services,” Todd Burge said. “Northlands is retaining staff to operate the staff.
“There are — with three pieces going down — job losses in some areas.
“What we’ve tried to do is; within our organization, on external recruitments, allow opportunities for people to… get in jobs that match their skill sets.”
The report also calls on Northlands to operate K-Days and FarmFair International for five years, with another five-year option, while the city takes a more detailed look at how to develop the 160 acres of land off 118 Avenue.
“The agreement today that we have is that K-Days and FarmFair will operate on the Northlands site… (as) they have for at least the next five, and with an option for five more years based on what happens in the development,” Burge said.
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As debate on the future of the facility continues, councillors are learning Northlands Park will be referred to as the Edmonton Exhibition Lands.
When the city assumes the lease on the building, it says it won’t be holding any events inside the arena but will make sure other events are still happening around it.
City council will review the report next week.
The Coliseum is scheduled to close permanently on Jan. 1, 2018.
— With files from Scott Johnston, 630 CHED
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