Catholic school board revises plan to renovate vacant building
A plan to renovate a vacant school building in King Edward Park and sell off a piece of valuable McKernan school land is on hold after the city rejected a redevelopment permit from Edmonton Catholic Schools.
Last December, the school board approved a proposal to consolidate 323 staff in the vacant St. James school building on 83 Street and 78 Avenue in King Edward Park. Trustees also voted to declare the land and former St. Peter school building in McKernan surplus to their needs, potentially freeing up a desirable plot for redevelopment.
However, the school district has given up its $7.5-million plan to renovate St. James after the city said the site is zoned for a school, not administrative offices.
A written decision from the city also notes the school district would have to conduct a study to prove the redevelopment — which included 120 new parking spaces — wouldn’t interfere with traffic.
The new Valley Line LRT is expected to run down 83 Street in front of the St. James building.
“The City of Edmonton is always good to work with on these kinds of things,” said Boris Radyo, assistant superintendent, educational planning. “They always provide an opportunity to work through these issues, and they did on this one as well, but we just want to, for the time being, hold off on St. James and look at the bigger picture.”
The district has hired a consultant to devise options to house all 450 non-school-based employees, including about 120 people working at the district’s downtown office, Radyo said.
On Tuesday, the school board voted to take back its request to the provincial government to declare the McKernan land as surplus. Trustees also rescinded their request for the province’s permission to renovate St. James.
A private school, meanwhile, has expressed interest in leasing the St. James building, Radyo said. He wouldn’t say which one.
The now-kiboshed plan was to accommodate 323 curriculum consultants, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, and other professionals at St. James who are working from sites across the city. The district had hoped to put them in one place to improve chances for collaboration.
For now, 200 staff remain at the cramped former St. Bede school building in Gold Bar, and 45 staff will remain at the Learning Services Innovation building on 113 Street and 73 Avenue.
The McKernan building is beyond its useful life, Radyo said.
Residents have said the 1.6 hectares of land in McKernan could be attractive to developers, given its proximity to the University of Alberta and an LRT station. A 2012 neighbourhood redevelopment plan found people in the neighbourhood wanted to see a redeveloped sports field and apartments or row housing on the land.
The downtown Catholic Education Services building on 106 Street and 98 Avenue is 60 years old and also requires upgrades, Radyo said. Radyo hopes the consultants will have recommendations to share by the end of March.