Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife ( May 31/00) - Yellowknife Catholic Schools' central services will soon have a new home.

According to superintendent Kern von Hagen, the main offices will be moved from their current site to make room for parking at the newly-constructed Weledeh school.

"We're essentially being pushed off these grounds," von Hagen said.

"We wanted to finish off the site and that did not include central services."

Yellowknife Catholic Schools will be moving it's base of operations to the vacated Edgson's Produce store on the corner of 49th Street and 52nd Avenue.

The school board purchased the building at a cost of $1,060,000 (including renovations) last February and expects to be fully moved in by the first week of July.

The superintendent said that, besides making room for parking at Weledeh school, the new offices will be a step up from their present location.

"It will be nice to have all our services under one roof and having more space," von Hagen said.

"I think the environmental conditions are healthier for the employees. It's pretty hard-pressed to make these buildings (present location) function that way."

The new location will increase central services' office space from 2,500 square feet to 5,000 square feet.

The offices currently being used have already been sold and will be moved from the site this summer. The plan calls for the space to be paved for 33 new staff and visitor parking spots.

The site has seen a lot of changes over the years since St. Patrick high school was first erected in 1961. After the school burned down in 1964, a new one was constructed and an elementary school portion was added on in 1967.

Over the last couple of years, the school site has seen the construction of a new St. Patrick high school and additionally, Weledeh school, which will officially open its doors for the upcoming school year. Central services has occupied the two trailer offices adjacent to the schools for 15 years.

"After reviewing the proposals that came in, the board thought that it would be the most cost-effective and best long-term solution," von Hagen said on purchasing the new cental services building.

The new location is currently being renovated by Pin-Matthews Architects. Changes to the building will include clear storey windows along the top of the exterior and interior walls to draw natural light into the office spaces. Additionally, a kitchen and conference room will be built into the building.