By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Vacant Building

Red Deer, AHS at odds over cost of vacant senior’s residence

Mar 9, 2020 | 9:40 AM

RED DEER, AB – The City of Red Deer and Alberta Health Services (AHS) are at odds over what exactly it’s costing to let Valley Park Manor sit empty.

The former seniors’ living facility, which is owned by AHS and located across the street from Fairview Elementary, has sat empty since 2010.

At a city council meeting last month, Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer stated the building is costing taxpayers $100,000 each year.

“The building was decommissioned because it was past the point of no return, and it wasn’t really in the public interest to refurbish it,” Veer said. “When you compile (those costs) over the past decade-plus that the building’s been dormant, and attracting illegitimate activity problematic for the neighbourhood, certainly that would have covered the capital costs of demolition at the outset.”

Veer said the City is advocating to the province to provide funding for its demolition so that the land can be used for something else.

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However, AHS spokesperson Heather Kipling says while costs were around $100,000 for the first two years, they dipped to around $10,000/year in 2013 when they turned off the heat. Thus costs over the decade have been roughly $250,000 to $300,000 – not the approximately $1 million suggested by the mayor.

“Since 2013, AHS has maintained electricity for minimal security lighting and groundskeeping like snow removal at the site,” says Kipling. “Protective Services also conducts patrols of the property. Maintenance costs are approximately $10,000/year.”

Kipling confirms there has also been some cleanup linked to various cases of vandalism.

Asked about the discrepancy, Veer doubled down saying that $100,000/year is the number the City has been operating on during meetings with MLAs and provincial ministers for several years. AHS says those figures were incorrectly part of a 2017 report presented to the City by Alberta Seniors and Housing.

At the very least, both parties agree that demolition would cost over one million dollars. Valley Park Manor remains on the real estate market.

rdnewsNOW also asked Veer if there’s concern on behalf of the City that the soon-to-be vacated Piper Creek Lodge could become derelict like Valley Park Manor.

“We have raised both the Piper Creek Lodge, as well as the existing Red Deer Courthouse as concerns to the minister of infrastructure and to local MLAs indicating that we’re making some traction in moving forward on repurposing public sites in the public interest,” says Veer, “Obviously, we don’t want to be in a similar situation where we end up with government buildings remaining vacant or derelict for a number of years.”

Geoff Olson, executive director at Bridges Community Living, which runs Piper Creek Lodge, says that building will not become derelict because if they can’t find a way to repurpose it, there is government funding for demolition built into the budget for its replacement facility on 30 Street.

“(We are doing) a quick consultation with other agencies in town to see if the building would have any use for them, which will happen later this spring,” says Olson. “If there is no other use for the building, it will be demolished.”