Two months after a shooting led to the shutdown of Edmonton City Hall, the civic building will reopen to the public next week with new security measures in place.
Community members and visitors will be able to come back to city hall on Monday, March 25.
Members of the public entering will need to use a specific access point, go through security screening, and have their bags checked before entering the city room, according to a news release from the City of Edmonton on Wednesday.
All City of Edmonton staff and media members must wear visible identification while inside the building.
Those going through the south corridor to reach the Hallway Cafe or City Hall School, or crossing through the corridor, will not be required to go through security screening.
Stairwells will be locked for emergency use only, and elevators will require City of Edmonton identification cards to operate. The city hall parkade remains restricted to authorized users, according to the city.
City manager Andre Corbould said in a news release, 'City Hall is a lively place for civic participation, celebration, and commemoration.' He also mentioned, 'I am confident that we have achieved the appropriate balance of a safe and secure environment that is also open and welcoming.'
The final phase of the building’s reopening plan follows a shooting incident on Jan. 23.
According to the police, the man was heavily armed when he entered the building through an underground parkade, fired a gun, and set off several small incendiary devices, leading to a minor fire outside an elevator.
Despite the building being full of people at the time, there were no injuries. The bullets broke glass and damaged ceilings and walls.
Since then, city staff have been working on replacing glass panels, as well as repairing walls, floors, carpets, and doorways.
The reopening of the building began with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, some councillors, and city staff returning in early February. More city employees went back to work in the building and some visitors were allowed inside for special events in mid-March.
Earlier this month, the RCMP stated that they believe the crime was politically motivated. They believe the incident meets the criteria for terrorism charges.
Bezhani Sarvar, 28, has been accused of inciting a terrorism offence and having property for terrorist purposes.
The Integrated National Security Enforcement Team mentioned that these charges are related to nine others, which include terrorism offences such as deliberately having incendiary material while committing a serious crime.
Sarvar is also facing two counts of having a prohibited device, mischief, concealed weapon carriage, and having a weapon for committing a crime.
— with files from The Canadian Press.
