Deemed too costly to maintain, the Annex Building on the Alberta legislature grounds is being torn down. In turn, the site will be made into a green space.

Interior demolition and hazardous materials removal began in March and on Tuesday, structural demolition started. The cleanup and sorting process could take five to six weeks.

The Annex Building is 70 years old and was built in 1951.

“The condition deteriorated because it was not well kept,” Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda said.

Alberta Infrastructure said many of the Annex’s systems had aged to the point where it was “no longer economically viable” for the government to continue to occupy and maintain.

Before the decision was made to tear the building down, the province estimated the Annex Building required approximately $29 million in repairs and maintenance.

“The money needed to bring the Annex up to a modern and usable standards will be better spent on schools, hospitals, and other public buildings across Alberta,” Panda said.

“Our government has a responsibility to ensure we are getting the best value for taxpayers’ money when we build and maintain our government facilities.”

There were “a couple hundred” people working in the Annex, Panda said, and they have been relocated to other government buildings.

Once demolition is done, the site will be landscaped to provide additional green space at the legislature grounds.

David Ridley is the executive director of the Edmonton Heritage Council.

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