A year from now, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) will be gearing up to open their brand new campus centre.

When it opens, the Trojans’ new home will house gymnasiums, teaching spaces, athletic therapy and a campus pub/restaurant, among other amenities.

Tanya Tam, Director of Major Capital Projects at SAIT said that since the redevelopment started in 2023, things have gone largely to plan, aside from some minor issues.

“We’ve always known it was a multi-year project,” she told LWC.

“We accounted for winter conditions for building out such a massive building and it’s very complex as well. There’s been some challenges, but we’re still targeting the fall of 2027 for sure.”

Since the development began, markets for material and other goods have fluctuated heavily. Tam said that Bird Construction, the school’s partners in the project, have handled uncertainty well.

Total costs are consistent with projections, according to Tam. Finalized costs have not been made public. SAIT received $30 million from both the project’s namesake, the Taylor Family, and the Government of Alberta.

Once complete, the centre should have a some-60 year lifespan, Tam said.

Opportunities for current and future students

Tam said that though many current SAIT students sadly will not get to enjoy the centre during their collegiate career, there are some opportunities to be involved.

“We have ongoing apprenticeship opportunities currently,” she said.

“We have a lot of people working on the site that went to SAIT. It’s almost a regular occurrence where they’re having a full circle moment for them because they remember coming here as a student and now they’re actually working on what they trained and certified for on campus.”

There are also practicum opportunities for students who have nearly finished their programs, according to Tam.

For the current and future students who will get to check out the centre, expectations should rightfully be high, Tam said.

“The Taylor Family Campus Centre was always meant for the students and it really enhances the whole student experience,” she said.

“To be on campus and attend a Trojans game but also have a pub where you can meet all your friends and gather or use other spaces where you can meet and do your group work, it’s special.”

Tam, who walks the redevelopment site on a weekly-basis, said that as progress is made each day, SAIT officials become more and more excited.

“The building will speak for itself. I’ve seen it when it was just moving dirt around and now we can stand on the third floor of the tower and see a million dollar view of all of downtown,” she said.

“It’s going to be iconic from every building and it’s really going to put SAIT on the map in terms of architecture.”

Last year, Rose Viscount, a Senior Project Manager with SAIT, told LWC that since the previous campus centre closed on April 3, 2023, the school has done everything they can to minimize the redevelopment’s impacts on students’ daily lives. 

“The biggest challenge we face right now is when the pedestrians are getting off the LRT station and crossing the walkway. We do have a truck turning and holding area going into the site,” she said in 2025.

“There’s a little bit of disruption there for pedestrians crossing the street. If we have large concrete trucks coming in that need to get into the site, pedestrians would have to wait until the flag goes and gives them permission to cross.” 

During the redevelopment, some team sports, like hockey and futsal have moved away from campus and will not return until the centre is complete.

The redevelopment can be monitored through updates on SAIT’s website.