The federal government revealed design renderings for its $600-million research centre in Moncton on Friday and officially began construction of the science wing.
The Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre project was first announced in 2017 and is expected to be fully open by 2032.
The project is an expansion of the Gulf Fisheries Centre on University Avenue, which once housed Collège Notre-Dame d’Acadie, a school for girls run by nuns until 1965.
The latest renditions released Friday were developed through sessions with local Indigenous community members and representatives from the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur, founders of the former College Notre Dame d’Acadie, said a federal news release.
By the end of construction, the building is expected to have 700 employees from five government departments and agencies. The construction will require employing 200 workers, the release said.
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Diane Lebouthillier said the centre will be a source of jobs and a home to cutting-edge research, “all while ensuring the long-term health and sustainability of our region’s ecosystems.”
In 2021, contracts were awarded to two companies for the renovation and expansion of a science centre in Moncton that’s expected to add about 200 jobs to the city. Toronto-based Diamond Schmitt was awarded a $26 million contract to create designs, and Montreal-based Pomerleau was awarded a $325 million construction contract for the expansion.
The science centre is expected to be the workplace of scientists and technical staff from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the National Research Council of Canada. The Canadian Space Agency will also be a virtual partner, the news release says.
The facade of the original building will be preserved, and a 14-metre-long North Atlantic right whale skeleton is expected to be prominently featured in the atrium, the release says.
“This endangered species represents the importance of the research and protection work taking place within the facility.”
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