Alberta Art Gallery gets $15M as construction costs soar

Edmonton city council has approved an additional $15 million toward construction ofthe new Alberta Art Gallery after construction costs soared.

The estimated cost of building a new gallery in the Alberta capitalhas ballooned in the past year from $57 million to $88 million.

Inflation is pushing up costs in booming Alberta, said gallery board chairman Allan Scott.

"All projects here are under tremendous pressures of labour shortages and material costs going up, so I think everybody understands what's happened this budget is no different than any other," he said in an interview with CBC Radio.

The existing building near Edmonton City Hall has to be replaced and demolition is scheduled for this spring.

A new buildingfeaturingstainlesssteel curvesand 10,000 square feet of gallery space has been designed by Randall Stout Architects of Los Angeles.

Gallery officials say they also need the provincial and federal governments to come up with extra funding over the next two months, to prevent further construction delays and cost escalations.

The Alberta government has donated $15 million so far and Ottawa has pledged $10 million.

"Certainly we will review it," Alberta Culture Minister Hector Goudreau said.

"Up until now, the province was the biggest contributor in the project. We still believe in the project; we still would like to see it move forward."

Another $20 million has be raised from private sources.

Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandell anticipates objections from some citizens over the decision to devote an additional $15 million of next year's budget to the project. The city's full contribution will be $21 million.

"I know it's expensive and I know people around different parts of the city may be critical of us, but I think in the years when you look back at this decision and when this building is built, all citizens will take great pride in what will be built, what will become an icon for what this city can be, should be, and will be," he said.