Ritchie residents and friends of Ritchie have raised or received pledges for just over $130,000 for the hall replacement project. That’s just over half of the $250,000 goal. Some Ritchie businesses are also stepping up, and we want to thank Bent Stick and Aspen Coffee for their fun campaigns that directed funds to this important initiative! Other businesses have made pledges, and we’re super excited to see the support from so many different people and organizations in our community! These funds are critical, and some are already being put to use in the current hall on upgrades that can move into the new hall once it’s built. If we exceed our goal, “extra” funds will be used to finish or improve the rest of the site, including the courts.
Corporate Grant Opportunities
Our other goal is to secure $250,000 in corporate support. So far, we have applied for 10 of the 26 corporate grants we qualify for without the league having charitable status. Unfortunately, we have been dismissed by eight, including Atco, CNRL, Imperial Oil, and Scotiabank. We are waiting for a response from Enbridge and Cenovus but we won’t hold our breath.
Why mention it? If your employer has a grant or donation program for community building, please reach out to your company’s grant advisor or office and let them know about our project… then let us know, and we’ll apply!
What else are we doing about the shortfall? We’re exploring applying to become a registered charity. We’re also working with a construction management company to trim costs.
Capital Funds
The league also requested permission to submit a business case to the City of Edmonton for capital funds. We hope to demonstrate how the Ritchie Community League uses partnerships and collaboration to deliver programs and services to residents across the district and city. If received, these capital funds will be in addition to our awarded grant of $400,000 (awarded to any league, even those who don’t allow outsiders to use their facility or deliver programs). To date, the City has refused to accept our submission, but perhaps after the league meets with City management and explains how we provide services the City cannot provide in our area, the City will reconsider.
The construction side of the project…
While one team is working hard to increase the funding, another team is working hard to decrease the budget. The architects presented the initial design with the "Green and Inclusive Community Building (GICB)" federal grant program in mind. Net zero energy and carbon neutral design were important in securing the substantial GICB funding from the Federal Government (which is secured). Work is underway to decrease the budget without changing too much of the design and while still aligning with GICB grant requirements. Relying on Krawford Construction’s technical knowledge, the team has proposed changes to the roofline and the outer skin of the building to lower costs. The team is also looking at changing the building’s framing material from timber to steel, which would lower costs significantly. The team has also proposed deferring costs by adding non-essential finishing details to the building gradually over a few years while the new hall is in use.
What’s next for the project?
In late December or early January, the league will learn whether it will receive a provincial grant from the Community Facility Enhancement Program. This is a $1 million matching grant and would provide the final funding to build the structure. We’ll still need fundraising to ensure the building can be fully operational, but there are future grants we can apply for to make that happen.
The Government of Alberta cut this program’s funds from $50 million to $25 million this year, which puts at risk any project hoping to receive funding from this program.
So, we either start construction in spring 2026, or we overhaul the design and hope for a 2027 start, or we spend $2.6 million on upgrades to the current hall and restart the grant application process.
You can keep apprised of this project on the “New Hall “ page on our website (click here).