Red Deer Catholic Social Services is ready to start work on an eye-catching new home.
The city’s municipal planning commission approved a new $4.5-million three-storey office building for the organization on Wednesday.
The 26,000-square-foot complex will sport a unique design that will see the top floors cantilevered over the ground floor to create a wide sidewalk with room for benches and planters.
Designed by Berry Architecture and Associates, the design, which includes an open-air rooftop patio to serve as a staff lunchroom and meeting area, drew praise from the mayor and city planning staff.
Mayor Morris Flewwelling said he liked the additional space that will be created for pedestrians by the overhang design, which will be built on the same site as the existing building at 5104 48th Ave.
City staff were equally enthusiastic about the design, which will replace an aging one-storey structure that will be torn down.
“It’s been really nice to work on a project that’s going to enhance the downtown and make such a difference,” said Joyce Boon, co-manager of the Inspections and Licensing Department.
“We love new development in the downtown.”
Catholic Social Services representative Marc Barylo said the organization has worked out an agreement to use the former RCMP headquarters at 4602 51st Ave. during the 14-month construction period.
Staff will move in as soon as telephone and computer service hook-ups are completed.
“We are hoping that come the end of May, we have started to move into the RCMP building and are out of our existing space,” said Barylo, the organization’s chief development officer, from Edmonton.
Red Deer’s Scott Builders Inc. was awarded the contract for the new building and will begin demolition on the existing structure as soon as staff are out.
Barylo said the additional space is badly needed. “Right now, we have staff working in different facilities in the community, including some out of their homes, because we don’t have enough space in our existing building.”
The organization has also had to rent space in other buildings to do workshops. Catholic Social Services has about 340 staff working in the Red Deer region and is involved in around $8 million worth of programming.
The new facility will give the organization room for growth and allow it to take on additional programming if needed. In the past, the organization has had to turn down program requests because it had no room.
“It’s a great location being downtown. I think it’s really handy for clients, public transportation-wise and everything else.”
Barylo said the building will be a community resource with room for training and workshops, meetings, as well as offices.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com