Work to begin soon on convention centre

Work is set to begin soon on a new $17.5-million convention centre in Charlottetown.

Staff at the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans will move from their present waterfront offices — on the site where the new centre will be built — and relocate temporarily to the C.G.I. building in Stratford.

"The convention centre is on track," said Gail Shea, the federal fisheries minister. "The DFO will be vacating their current premises in the very near future, so the province will have access to the current property by late spring."

The Canadian Coast Guard, which also occupies part of the building currently on the site, will be transferred to another building on the Charlottetown waterfront.

The province plans to put out tenders in February to replace the aging seawall in the centre's future location.

Then, existing office buildings will be torn down to make room for the Convention Centre.

The convention centre will be connected to the Delta Prince Edward.

The 36,000-square-foot complex will be built to hold receptions for up to 3,000 people and dining events for up to 1,500 people.

The convention centre will be cost-shared by the federal and provincial governments and is expected to be completed by 2012.