Early negotiations with province, developer underway for repurposing of old RAM building

Alberta Infrastructure says it has received six proposals to repurpose the old Royal Alberta Museum site.

The province said it is in early negotiations with a developer for the repurposing of the old Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) building in Glenora.

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Alberta Infrastructure received six proposals through its request for expression of interest (RFEOI) put out in July.

“Three met the requirements and we scored based on the criteria outlined in the RFEOI, with a goal to find a solution that balances community interest and historic value in a cost-effective way,” said the Ministry of Infrastructure in an email to CTV News Edmonton.

Should negotiations be successful, more details will be released, said the ministry. If an agreement can’t be reached, Alberta Infrastructure would likely reach out to the next-highest-ranked proposal.

Repurposing the structure is estimated to cost $150 million, including a deferred maintenance cost. The province currently pays about $700,000 a year to maintain it.

With an exterior of marble, brass and Tyndall stone, the mid-century modern style structure has stood on top of Government House Park since 1965.

For the last decade, it has sat empty.

The NDP government reached out for proposals to demolish the old RAM in 2015 before community members began a petition to repurpose the building, collecting some 27,000 signatures.

RAM’s new home opened in downtown Edmonton in 2018.