OLDS — The Town of Olds has sold its administrative building to Westview Co-op.
Administrative staff will instead move into the municipality's operations centre, located along 70th Avenue this spring.
In advance of that spring move, renovations will be undertaken to accommodate administrative staff.
Earlier this year, five construction companies were pre-qualified for the project. The request for proposals closes in the middle of this month.
Town council approved the sale during its closed-door meeting Nov. 1.
The move was announced in a news release issued Nov. 4.
In the news release, town officials said this change will improve efficiency, noting other town staff such as operations, parks and recreation are also located in the operations centre.
“This move marks a significant step towards improving the Town (of Olds') operational efficiency, preparing for long-term growth, and supporting local business,” the news release said.
“This move is part of a long-term plan to reduce administrative costs, improve efficiency in our core operations and to enable long-term plans for other Town facilities,” the town's chief administrative officer Brent Williams is quoted as saying in the release.
“By relocating, we are also enabling Westview Co-op to keep their head office in Olds, employing people, and helping drive our local economy for years to come.”
Olds mayor Judy Dahl also commented on the move in the release.
“We are excited to centralize the core functions in the newer building,” she is quoted as saying.
“Combining two underutilized spaces ensures responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and makes it more convenient for the people of Olds to access town services.”
