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Crews have completed prep work on a vacant lot in a busy area of downtown Edmonton to pave the way for construction of a new, $150-million School of Business building at

The site, at 109 Street and 105 Avenue, will soon be home to a seven-storey tower and wedge-shaped building that will accommodate an additional 7,500 students in business and STEM fields.

A groundbreaking ceremony, attended by politicians, university officials and stakeholders, was held at the site recently to mark the start of construction.

The new structure promises to be a signature building that will revitalize the city’s downtown core.

The sleek-looking building will incorporate a high-efficiency mechanical and electrical system, solar photovoltaic panels to convert thermal energy into electricity, and a high-performing exterior that includes vertical solar shading fins for regulation of inside temperatures.

Architects are targeting LEED Gold certification. was awarded the contract for the project from among four submissions.

Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor of the university, says building a new home for the school of business is key to growing the campus to accommodate 30,000 students by 2030.

“We are extending our infrastructure in a way that translates into research, community partnerships, business collaborations and connections that meet industry needs.”

The building will open its doors to students, faculty, staff and the community in 2027.

The milestone project will feature a large entranceway, along with a ground floor café and a multi-level central atrium that will provide a variety of collaborating and gathering areas for learning.

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Government commits $125 million

Upper floors will feature classrooms, offices and spaces that can accommodate future growth. The university will have another 35,000 square metres of space, including 30 classrooms, 20 collaboration spaces and 15 study spaces.

The façade of the building will feature lots of windows. Inside, there will be plenty of open spaces on the various levels. There will be wood trim on the walls and ceilings in many areas.

The structure will have a theatre area. Classrooms will be spacious and bright with large windows.

The has committed $125 million to the project and a cabinet of volunteers from the local business community is raising an additional $25 million. an integrated site services firm based in Fort McKay, Alta., which is Canada’s largest private Indigenous company, has donated $250,000 to the cause.

Company CEO Nicole Bourque-Bouchier, a member of the capital campaign cabinet, said in a statement the project is critical.

“We hope to ignite momentum for others to be a part of this campaign to strengthen the north’s next generation of talent. Indigenous peoples and northern communities are vital to the social and economic wellbeing of our province. By providing more access to critical educational opportunities, together, our efforts with MacEwan can shape and enhance Alberta’s collective future, especially for people in the north.”

‘A place where expertise and knowledge is shared’

Rob Seidel, committee co-chair and managing partner of , says the fact the university is embedded in the heart of downtown creates a different type of energy and mentality.

“This university is a convenor of people,” he says. “Not only does it shape the leaders of tomorrow, but it invites current business leaders, community builders, students, faculty and government together to generate new ideas, build new leaders and solve real-world problems.”

It is difficult to imagine anything that will have a greater impact on downtown Edmonton than the new school, Seidel says.

The new addition to MacEwan’s campus will enable students enrolled in business programs to enhance their studies through features like a trading simulation lab and a new supply chain program.��It will also make way for an expanded Maria T. Schneider Social Innovation Institute.

The school is significant to downtown Edmonton. About 20,000 people make their way downtown every day to study, work and teach at MacEwan – or one quarter of Edmonton’s downtown population. The additional students who will study in the new building will bring that number to 30,000.

The new school is also expected to have an impact throughout the Edmonton region as more than 90 per cent of MacEwan graduates stay in Alberta.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said the university is not only an important post-secondary institution, but it has been exciting and inspiring to watch its growth as an essential part of Edmonton’s downtown.

“The school of business building will be a place where expertise and knowledge is shared with students who will go on to help grow the economy and contribute to their community. I look forward to watching this new addition to the downtown take shape over the next few years.”