Repair bill nearing $85M for Calgary Municipal Building

The City of Calgary is continuing to pour big money into the building known as Big Blue or new city hall.

Over the past decade, the city has committed nearly $85 million into repairing and modernizing the Calgary Municipal Building.

In recent years, it seems like there's always a project going on somewhere in the building.

Back in 2014, a city report warned that the building's deteriorating condition was an issue and that it required investment. 

Susan Specht is the manager of building infrastructure within the city's facilities management department. She is part of the team determining what repairs are needed in the building and when that work should proceed.

She said the city does building condition assessments on all of its properties every three to five years. 

The goal in commissioning work is to keep buildings in fair to good condition — and that includes this key building for the city.

"It is the age of the building," said Specht, explaining why there are so many upgrades on the list of recent repairs. The city also ensures the building remains up to current building codes and remains safe.

The repairs have run a wide range, from structural issues to modernizations and replacements of the building's operating systems.

"When we're updating the HVAC [heating, ventilation and air conditioning] system, we want to make sure we're still maintaining the comfort levels that are appropriate, given the degree of changes that are happening and the different standards from industry. We're just constantly trying to make sure that we are meeting the standards," said Specht.

LIST OF PROJECTS: