Red Deer residents are one step closer to enhanced justice services in a state-of-the-art facility. The newly built Red Deer Justice Centre will replace the city’s existing outdated court facilities that have been operating at capacity. The new centre has space for 16 courtrooms, with 12 courtrooms fully built and the ability to add up to four additional courtrooms for future use.

With construction complete, Alberta Infrastructure is turning the building over to Alberta Justice, who will outfit the facility with furniture and modern equipment to prepare the building for the public. The centre is expected to officially open and begin operating in early 2025.

“This new, state-of-the-art courthouse will increase access to justice services for residents of Red Deer and central Alberta. The new facility will meet the space and service needs of residents for generations to come.”

Construction on the new Red Deer Justice Centre began in August 2020. The new centre includes spaces for alternative approaches to the traditional courtroom trial process, with three new suites for judicial dispute resolution services, a specific suite for other dispute resolution services, such as family mediation and civil mediation, and a new Indigenous courtroom able to accommodate smudging. Additionally, it will include modern technology to replace legacy systems at the current courthouse.

“Along with building a new justice centre for Red Deer, Alberta’s government is preparing to expand pre-court services, such as mediation, in Red Deer early in 2025. This new facility has the space to offer these services while also allowing more court cases to be heard, increasing Albertans’ access to justice.”

“As MLA for Red Deer-North, I am thrilled this new justice centre will open its doors to serve our growing community soon. When it opens, it will provide essential space and resources to support timely legal services, reflecting our commitment to improve legal access for the people of Red Deer and central Alberta.”

“Central Alberta is a wonderful, attractive place for individuals to work, live and raise families, and many are choosing our region for these reasons. The Red Deer Justice Centre will improve justice services for a growing population of individuals, families and businesses. This centre is a testament to Red Deer and central Alberta’s growth and our government’s commitment to it.”

Building the vital public infrastructure that Albertans need, creating jobs and attracting investment is integral to Alberta’s economic development. The project supported about 1,100 construction-related jobs from start to finish.

Quick facts

• Red Deer’s current court facilities include seven courtrooms that were built in the 1980s.
  • Since then, Red Deer’s population has almost doubled.
• The approved project funding is about $203.1 million.
• The new 312,000 sq ft (29,000 m2) Red Deer Justice Centre is built to LEED Silver standards to ensure reduced energy consumption and operational costs and increased durability of the building.
• The new facility was designed by Group2 Architecture and Interior Design, in conjunction with justice facility specialists DLR Group.
• There are currently five courthouse capital projects in planning or design throughout the province.

Red Deer District Chamber CEO, Scott Robinson

News release from the Red Deer District Chamber

Red Deer District Chamber Calls for Balanced Approach to 2025 City Budget

Following several meetings with City Administration, The Red Deer District Chamber has responded to the release of the draft City of Red Deer 2025 Budget with a call to immediately reduce tax supported Operational expenses by 3%. This recommendation is based on a balanced approach and one that acknowledges the significant amount of work The City must do in improving efficiency and managing costs.

“We have looked closely at The City’s financial position for 2025 and believe it is essential to consider further expense reductions alongside property tax increases.” says Red Deer District Chamber CEO, Scott Robinson. “The City of Red Deer faces a significant deficit, as revenues have fallen short of expenses over the past few years. While we agree that The City must address this imbalance and reduce its reliance on reserves and utility dividends to balance the budget, we believe that the full financial burden should not fall solely on taxpayers and property owners.”

Through a recent survey, our members shared the view that it’s crucial for The City to review its services and the costs associated with delivering them. 51.61% of respondents wanted to see The City implement alternative ways of doing business to reduce deficit.

When asked how a potential double digit tax increase would impact their businesses, 64.29% of respondents said that this would result in significantly increased operating costs.

Respondents felt that a double-digit tax increase would not result in a sustainable financial solution for The City of Red Deer, and that the overwhelmingly best option for The City to explore for the 2025 Budget and beyond, was cost cutting and efficiency measures being implemented within City departments.

“We believe a balanced approach is both reasonable and necessary. By reducing operational expenses by 3%, The City could save taxpayers approximately $9-10 Million, which would, in turn, make any necessary tax increase more manageable this budget year.” says Chamber CEO Scott Robinson.

The business community has been clear: a double-digit tax increase is not sustainable and would significantly impact the ability of some businesses to operate and thrive within the city.