City Manager on former police headquarters sale

There continues to be some misinformation circulating in the community around the sale of the former Saskatoon Police Service Headquarters property on Fourth Avenue.

As far as an alleged new central library project is concerned, the reliable public information is: over a number of years, but more recently since 2013, the Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) has identified the need for a new central branch.

The 2016 Approved Operating & Capital Budget also outlines the SPL’s priorities on pg. 166 – notably a five-year facilities plan, and a Master Building Program.  Funding for a central library is not even proposed until 2019.

Finally, let me be clear about the former police property sale terms: there is no sale condition that requires a particular development of the former police headquarters building, whether it’s new construction or re-purposed.

The City is not seeking any conditions above what zoning and existing development controls would already dictate.  The City’s interest is to sell the building and vacant parcel of land.

There have been two offers on the former police headquarters building.   In those instances, the purchaser chose not to move forward with their offer to complete the purchase of the building.

It is typical of the development industry to produce conceptual drawings for a project they want to promote, but without a parcel of land to build it on, there is no project; it is just a concept or a dream.

Murray Totland
City Manager